tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52353711567112566042024-03-14T00:08:55.678-04:00RACING ** HELL ON WHEEL'SAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.comBlogger4014125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-38927940165476938512017-04-22T14:58:00.003-04:002017-04-22T14:58:17.083-04:00Saturday Bristol Notebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Saturday Bristol Notebook</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">April 22, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Notebook Items:</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Is the “old” Bristol experiencing a rebirth?
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bristol brings back positive vibes for Montoya</span></b></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Short strokes</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Is the “old” Bristol experiencing a rebirth?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BRISTOL,
Tenn. – As it turned out, Kyle Busch was prophetic when he talked about
the changing character of Bristol Motor Speedway.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I’m
sure (Kyle) Larson’s thrilled and he’ll have to rubber in the top
himself while the rest of us are rooting and gouging for the
bottom,” was Busch’s tongue-in-cheek assessment of the racing
characteristics of the .533-mile short track, where Monster Energy
NASCAR Cup Series drivers will compete in the Food City 500 on Sunday (2
p.m. ET on FOX).</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bristol
is different this spring, thanks to a wider denser strip of VHT
TrackBite applied to the bottom lane through both sets of turns
at Thunder Valley. For the past few years, after Bristol ground the
outside lane of the concrete surface in 2012, the top lane was superior
after it had a chance to take on rubber.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
application of the track sealer, to a greater degree than was used for
last year’s Night Race in August, has flipped the equation,
and drivers speculated that the bottom lane would be the faster lane on
Sunday.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">If
that’s the case, the action at Bristol would harken back to the old
days, when the best way to pass a car was simply to bump it out
of the way.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
think you’re going to see the bottom lane does wear off a little bit as
the weekend progresses,” Busch told the NASCAR Wire Service.
“It looks like they did a little more here this time than they did last
time, so we’ll see how that transpires and what that means.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“From what I’m watching already, there’s a lot of bottom going on and not a whole lot of middle or top.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
sure enough, when cars took to the track for Saturday morning’s first
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice, there was Larson,
the polesitter, in his No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet
singlehandedly trying to rubber in the top groove.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With
about seven minutes left in the session, Larson spun and clipped the
outside wall but the cosmetic damage to his Chevy wasn’t enough
to force the team to a backup car. After repairs to the sheet metal,
Larson was back in action for final practice.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
feel like it would still be really fast up there (in the top lane),
it’s just nobody is brave enough to go up there and work in the
groove,” Larson said. “The VHT is wider than the width of our race cars
now, too, which makes it extremely easy to run around the bottom…</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
thought the fall race (last year), I think it was like three or four
feet wide. I thought that was a good width because you could
get your left sides in it, and you really had to be cautious of hitting
your marks every corner. Now it’s like you just fire off from the
corner and it doesn’t really matter where you enter, and as long as your
right sides are in the grip, you’re going to
rip around the corner.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">After
running 30 laps on the bottom during Happy Hour, Larson moved up to the
top, stubbornly trying to work in the outside groove.
Shortly thereafter, Ty Dillon followed into the top lane, and
seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson did the same.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">All told, Larson ran 59 laps in final practice, finishing 26th fastest among the 37 drivers who participated.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BRISTOL BRINGS BACK POSITIVE VIBES FOR MONTOYA</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Juan
Pablo Montoya got a warm welcome on his return to Bristol Motor
Speedway, even if it was just to announce his sponsor for the upcoming
Indianapolis 500.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Montoya
will compete for Team Penske in the May spectacle with Fitzgerald
Glider Kits as his sponsor, the same company that holds the
entitlement for Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Bristol.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But when asked about his first trio around BMS in a stock car, Montoya waxed nostalgic.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
love this place,” Montoya told the NASCAR Wire Service. “Because for
me, the biggest problem I had with a stock car was it had no
grip. Here, with the banking, it made up a lot of grip. I always ran
really well here. This was a fun place for me.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Asked
whether the relationship with Penske and Fitzgerald Glider Kits might
lead to a return to NASCAR racing in a one-off situation,
Montoya shrugged and smiled.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I don’t know,” he said. “They tell me go here, I go there. I mean they say, ‘Jump,’ I say ‘How high?’”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In
general, however, Montoya thinks cross-pollination between racing
series is a good thing. In the Indy 500 he’ll compete against Fernando
Alonso, a rival in Formula One from 2001 through 2006.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
think it would be nice for motorsports to do a little more of that,
because it’s just going to create a little more interest overall,”
said Montoya, who doesn’t have a full-time IndyCar ride this season.
“It is something that it would be nice to see all motorsports to be able
to see top drivers jump from one to the other just for one race.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
was lucky enough to be in all the top series in the world, and being
able to win in all of them and everything. I’ve been very blessed
in that point of view.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Montoya,
however, wasn’t immune from some good-natured ribbing that also
recalled his NASCAR days. Fitzgerald Glider Kits founder Tom
Fitzgerald Sr. introduced Montoya as “Mr. Jet Dryer,” a reference to
the driver’s fiery collision with track-drying equipment under caution
during the 2012 Daytona 500.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I wasn’t going to do that,” quipped Fitzgerald, “but I couldn’t resist.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SHORT STROKES</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Joe
Gibbs Racing teammates Kyle Busch and Daniel Suarez posted the fastest
speeds in Happy Hour, running laps at 128.563 mph and 128.262
mph, respectively. The Hendrick Motorsports entries of Kasey Kahne,
Chase Elliott and Jimmie Johnson were third, fourth and fifth. Kahne had
the fastest 10-lap average at 127.482 mph…</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Ricky
Stenhouse Jr. clipped the outside wall during Saturday’s first practice
and did enough damage to the right rear that the team
considered going to a backup car before opting to fix the primary No.
17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford. In the repaired car, Stenhouse was 30th
fastest in final practice. “I had just been really loose and just got
down in the corner, and it took off,” Stenhouse
said of the accident. “I thought I saved it and just got the right rear
in the wall.”
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-4941205607717456662017-04-22T06:23:00.000-04:002017-04-22T06:23:11.494-04:00Friday Bristol Notebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Friday Bristol Notebook</span></b></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Jimmie Johnson's victory celebration comes with a price</span></b></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Changing track has made Bristol tougher on Kurt Busch</span></b></div>
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</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Absence of veterans doesn't hurt Dash 4 Cash competition</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Jimmie Johnson’s victory celebration comes with a price</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">BRISTOL,
Tenn. -- After his victory two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway,
Jimmie Johnson was late for his post-race press conference
– and with good reason.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Because
of a malfunction with his fluid delivery system, Johnson was dehydrated
by the end of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race.
Consequently, a trip to the infield care center for IV fluids delayed
his appearance in the media center.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">During
the NASCAR off week over Easter, Johnson took on very different sorts
of fluids, in Mexico no less. After all, what good is a
well-earned vacation if you can’t celebrate your most recent victory?</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Yeah,
the three IV bags did wonders,” Johnson said in a press conference
prior to Sunday’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway
(2 p.m. ET on FOX). “After leaving the media center, I started my off
weekend quickly that night and proceeded to chase out the pain with as
many margaritas and beers as I could down in Mexico.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
recovered well, but unfortunately came back sick from Mexico, and I’m
just on the tail end of that now. If you are going to play
you are going to pay, I guess, at the end of the day.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What
made the trip worth playing – and paying – was a victory that reversed a
sluggish start to the season for the No. 48 team. Uncharacteristically,
Johnson had posted just one top-10 finish in six races before the Texas
win.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We
would have been drowning sorrows instead of celebrating and enjoying it
(if the team hadn’t won),” Johnson said. “There’s no better
way to go into an off weekend than with a win or a strong run, strong
performance.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“We
all sit inside of our heads and think about where we’re at, what’s
going on. A tricky start to our season, to say the least, and
to punch our ticket to the playoffs and get that win made for a great
off weekend.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">CHANGING TRACK HAS MADE BRISTOL TOUGHER ON KURT BUSCH</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Kurt Busch is tied with his brother Kyle for most victories among active drivers at Bristol Motor Speedway.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Only
one problem: that’s ancient history. Busch earned four of his five
Bristol victories during a five-race stretch from spring 2002
through spring 2004. His last win at the .533-mile high-banked short
track came in the spring of 2006, his first season with team owner Roger
Penske.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since
then, the feast has turned to famine, and Busch knows why. It has
everything to do with changes to the track that have opened
up the outside lane – and simultaneously opened the path to victory for
a much broader group of drivers. Busch ran third at BMS in last year’s
spring race, matching his best finish since his most recent victory.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
definitely gotten tougher, with the amount of options there are with
the low lane, the high lane, the way that the tires have
changed,” Busch said on Friday before opening practice at Bristol. “The
races that I won had a nice, consistent pattern. It was to be a bulldog
on the bottom lane, move guys out of the way, and let the rough edges
drag.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
new Bristol and where we are now, it’s a little bit more finesse, and
you have to find the lane that works the best to be able
to get by the guy that’s already in the best lane, and you can’t
necessarily just move him because we’re all on that ragged edge. That
high lane, we’re all up there running that 15-second lap time, and
you’re right on the edge of slipping already, so you’re
trying to get to the guy and move him, and yet if you do one little
extra step, you’re gonna slide up into the fence.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“It’s
such a large consequence when that happens, so it’s just a different
way of going about it, and I haven’t quite mastered it like
I did before, and, again, third last spring here and just trying to
build off of that.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">ABSENCE OF CUP VETERANS DOESN’T HURT DASH 4 CASH COMPETITION</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A
difference in format and a ban on five-year Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series veterans may have changed the tenor of the Dash 4 Cash
races in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, but it hasn’t diminished the
quality of competition in the eyes of the drivers.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">This
year, eligibility for the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonuses is determined
during the first two stages of a race, rather than through
separate heat races. And though Cup drivers with five-year full-time
tenures aren’t allowed to compete, there are plenty of talented drivers
with less than five years of Cup experience eager to fill the
top-quality rides.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You
put Kyle Larson, Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney, Austin Dillon,
Ty Dillon – they’re still equally as good, in my opinion,”
said JR Motorsports driver Justin Allgaier, one of the top XFINITY
regulars competing for the Dash 4 Cash bonus. “Anybody that gets in the
18, 19 or 20 (Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas) has been great. They’ve kind of
been able to plug-and-play drivers.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
42 car has been lights-out, with Tyler (Reddick) in it or Kyle (Larson)
in it. I think the caliber of drivers in the XFINITY Series
right now is as good as I’ve ever seen it in a long time. For me
personally, yeah, it does change the feel of the weekend, but I think
you’re not changing the competitiveness of it.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Michael Annett, Allgaier’s teammate, agreed wholeheartedly.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“I
think the parity this year is closer than it’s ever been between the
guys racing on Sunday and racing on Saturday as well,” Annett
said. “We’ve already seen it – Ryan (Reed) winning Daytona, Justin
winning Phoenix, five top 10s for Bubba (Darrell Wallace Jr.).”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Allgaier
won both the Phoenix race and the first Dash 4 Cash bonus in March.
He’ll try for two in a row in Saturday’s Fitzgerald Glider
Kits 300 at Bristol. Should any driver win all four Dash 4 Cash
bonuses, he would also get an additional $600,000 to bring the total
bonus money to $1 million.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">SHORT STROKES</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Sunoco
Rookie of the Year contender Erik Jones was fastest in opening Monster
Energy Cup Series practice with a lap at 127.843 mph…
Series leader Kyle Larson, who will start from the pole because of a
qualifying rainout, ran 72 laps in the session, more than any other
driver… Both Kasey Kahne and Joey Logano scraped the outside wall during
practice, but the damage to their respective cars
was cosmetic… Chase Elliott spun off Turn 4 and slid sideways down the
frontstretch but avoided contact with the walls.
</span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-59681153803573966482017-04-21T16:10:00.001-04:002017-04-21T16:10:17.521-04:00Bristol rainout puts Kyle Larson on pole for Food City 500<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<strong>Bristol rainout puts Kyle Larson on pole for Food City 500</strong></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>April 21, 2017</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>By Reid Spencer</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>NASCAR Wire Service</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>BRISTOL, Tenn. – For the third time this season, Kyle Larson will start a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race from the pole.</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>And
for the second time this year, he gained the top starting spot not
through qualifying in time trials, but with an assist from Mother
Nature.</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>Because
of intermittent rain at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR canceled
qualifying in favor of necessary practice for teams in the Cup, XFINITY
and K&N Pro Series East Series.</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>With
the field for Sunday’s Food City 500 (2 p.m. ET on FOX) ordered
according to owner points, Larson will start up front as the series
leader, with second-place Chase Elliott beside him. Those are familiar
positions for both drivers, who started in the same spots when rain
wiped out qualifying for the April 2 race at Martinsville.</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>Interestingly,
Larson posted his worst finish of the season in that race — 17th.
Otherwise, in the six events since he ran 12th in the season-opening
Daytona 500, the driver of the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet has a
victory from the pole at Fontana, California, and four second-place
finishes.</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>Elliott, on the other hand, finished third at Martinsville, matching his best result of the season.</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>Martin Truex Jr. will start third on Sunday, followed by Team Penske teammates Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano.</strong></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<strong>Keselowski is the only two-time winner this season, having gone to Victory Lane at both Atlanta and Martinsville.</strong></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-27997650676615467552017-04-21T14:06:00.000-04:002017-04-21T14:06:13.316-04:00Bristol Weekend Preview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Bristol Weekend Preview</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">April 21, 2017</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Staff Report</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Bowyer hopes to continue bounce-back season at Bristol</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Clint
Bowyer's NASCAR career hit a crossroad last season. Racing for HScott
Motorsports, the 2012 championship runner-up finished 27th
in the points standings and only logged three top-10 finishes – both
career lows.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Heading
into this year as the replacement for Tony Stewart in the No. 14 Ford
at Stewart-Haas Racing, there was optimism Bowyer could
get his career back on track. So far, he's experiencing a bounce-back
season. He's already matched his 2016 total with three top-10 finishes
and his third-place showing at Auto Club Speedway was his best
performance since finishing third at Sonoma Raceway
in June of 2015. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Bowyer
will attempt to continue his strong start to his 12th full-time Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series campaign in Sunday's Food City
500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (2 p.m. ET on FOX) – a track where he's
been successful, but has never won.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In 22 starts at the .533-mile high-banked oval, Bowyer claims six top fives, 10 top 10s and an average finish of 15.7.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“You’re
really wheeling that thing, trying to keep the grip under your tires,
forward bite," said Bowyer, describing his love of short-track
racing. “Trying to keep the thing turning. Fighting the balance of the
cars. Fighting your crew chief all race long because you’re whining in
the car, and he is tired of hearing you whine. But all those things come
together to win that race and be successful.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Through
seven races, Bowyer ranks ninth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
standings, 111 points behind leader Kyle Larson. The
37-year-old Kansas native hasn't finished a season ninth or better
since 2013 when he placed seventh in the final standings.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“This
is an opportunity that doesn’t come along very often, whether it was my
first opportunity in this sport or my last, to drive for
this manufacturer, Ford, and the support they are giving us – everyone
at Stewart-Haas, the management and sponsors and my teammates," Bowyer
said. "You don’t put enough emphasis on the impact a good teammate can
have on you. Drivers capable of winning races
and championships. I have two championship-winning drivers (Kevin
Harvick and Kurt Busch) as teammates. Danica (Patrick), everything she
brings for our entire sport, let alone the company. This is the
opportunity you are giddy about no matter where you are
at in your career.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Allgaier goes for second straight XFINITY Dash 4 Cash win</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Justin
Allgaier took home a $100,000 bonus by winning the first NASCAR XFINITY
Series Dash 4 Cash race at Phoenix Raceway last month.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">He'll
try to earn another $100,000 when the Dash 4 Cash competition returns
in Saturday's Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 at Bristol Motor
Speedway (1 p.m. ET on FS1).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">To
take home the bonus, Allgaier doesn't even need to win the race. He
simply needs to beat the four Dash 4 Cash-eligible drivers to
the finish line at the end of the race. The two top-finishing NASCAR
XFINITY Series points earning drivers in each of the first two stages
make up the four-driver Dash 4 Cash field for the final stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Allgaier
has run well at Bristol throughout his career. In 12 starts at the
Tennessee short track, he boasts one win (2010), five top
fives and seven top 10s. He has finished in the top five in his last
three Bristol races.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Bristol
has just been one of those places where the very first time I turned
laps around the race track I felt comfortable," Allgaier
said. "Last year we he had great finishes, so I’m ready to head back
there and hopefully pick back up where we left off with our Cheney
Brothers Chevrolet. Plus it’s a Dash 4 Cash race. How great would it be
to get another $100,000 for JR Motorsports? We’ve
won one already this year, so I’d like nothing more than to go out
there and grab another one for this team.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Bristol Weekend Guide</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Race:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Food City 500</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Place:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Bristol Motor Speedway</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Date and Time:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m.
ET</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tune-in:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Distance:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> 266.5 miles (500 laps); Stage
1 (Ends on lap 125), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What To Watch For:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
Kyle and Kurt Busch
attempt to seize the active Bristol wins lead. Both have five victories
at The Last Great Colosseum. ... Last summer's Bristol winner, Kevin
Harvick, goes for his second straight win at the Tennessee track. ...
Matt Kenseth can vie for victory at Bristol where
he boasts four career wins. ... Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points
leader Kyle Larson looks to extend his 17-point advantage over Chase
Elliott.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NASCAR XFINITY Series</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Race:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Place:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Bristol Motor Speedway</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Date and Time:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> Saturday, April 22 at 1
p.m. ET</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Tune-in:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Distance:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> 159.9 miles (300 laps); Stage
1 (Ends on lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 300)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">What To Watch For:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
Six different drivers
have won the first six NASCAR XFINITY Series races this season. ...
Darrell Wallace Jr. has finished sixth in his last five races. If
Wallace finishes sixth next weekend at Bristol, he will tie Jack Ingram
for the series record in consecutive single finishing
positions inside the top-10. ... William Byron is the only driver left
in the 2017 season to complete every single lap (1,037 laps completed;
100%) of his scheduled go-arounds this season.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">-30-</span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-30377206397155628152017-04-21T09:25:00.000-04:002017-04-21T09:25:09.518-04:00Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series BRISTOL<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series</span></u></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Busch Bros At Bristol</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
Busch brothers will battle at Bristol Motor Speedway for sole
possession of the active track wins lead in Sunday’s Food City 500 (2
p.m. ET on FOX). Kyle and Kurt pace active
drivers with five victories each at “The Last Great Colosseum.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Despite
their successes, Kyle hasn’t won at Bristol since spring of 2011 and
Kurt hasn’t visited Victory Lane there since spring of 2006. In 23
starts at the .533-mile short
track, Kyle claims eight top fives, 13 top 10s and a 14.3 average
finish. Kurt has nine top fives and 16 top 10s in 32 Bristol starts.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kyle has the second-best Bristol driver rating (100.5), while Kurt’s is fifth-best (93.1).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Harvick Hopes For Second Straight Bristol Win</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Last
August’s Bristol winner Kevin Harvick will go for his second
consecutive victory at the Tennessee track Sunday. The No. 4 Ford driver
led 128 laps last summer to beat Ricky
Stenhouse Jr. to the finish line by 1.933 seconds. Denny Hamlin, Austin
Dillon and Chris Buescher rounded out the top five.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
32 starts at Bristol, Harvick owns two wins, 11 top fives, 15 top 10s
and a 15.4 average finish. He boasts the second-best average running
position (12.2) and third-best driver
rating (95.7) at the .533-mile track.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Harvick ranks first in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 419 laps led (19.6%) this season.
<br />
<br />
He is currently 10th in the points standings (117 markers behind leader
Kyle Larson) and holds three playoff points as a result of his three
stage wins.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Logano Looks To Continue Bristol Success</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Joey
Logano will attempt to continue his recent Bristol success. He has
logged four top-10 finishes, including two wins, in his last five starts
at the Tennessee short track.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Although
he’s done well at Bristol lately, his only career top-10 finish in the
spring race there was his 10th-place showing last year.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
26-year-old Connecticut native has quietly wheeled his No. 22 Ford to a
hot start this season. He has finished sixth or better in every race
except for Phoenix, where he
crashed after leading 82 laps and winning the first stage. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Logano
is coming off a season-best third-place showing at Texas. He sits fifth
in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings – 72 points behind
leader Kyle Larson.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kenseth Can Build Momentum At Bristol</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Although,
Matt Kenseth has three top-10 finishes, he’s dug himself into a hole to
start the season with three finishes of 36 or worse. He currently sits
22nd in the points standings,
189 markers behind first-place Kyle Larson. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sunday’s
Food City 500 could be a panacea for Kenseth. The Joe Gibbs Racing
driver has four wins, 13 top fives, 20 top 10s and a 14.2 average finish
at Bristol.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kenseth
boasts the best average running position (11.4) and driver rating
(100.9) at The Last Great Colosseum. He won the Bristol spring race in
2015.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Larson Heads To Bristol As Series Points Leader</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kyle
Larson continued his breakout season at Texas with his fourth runner-up
showing. The result marked his fifth top-two finish in the last six
races.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Only
four other drivers have logged as many top-two finishes as Larson’s
five through the first seven races of a season: Kevin Harvick (6 top
fives; 2015), Dale Earnhardt (5;
1987), Bobby Allison (5; 1972, 1979), Cale Yarborough (5, 1974).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
No. 42 Chevrolet driver has the top average finish (5.4) in the Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but more importantly, he leads the points
standings by 17 markers over second-place
Chase Elliott. Martin Truex Jr. (-40) sits third, followed by Brad
Keselowski (-41) and Joey Logano (-72). Ryan Blaney (-91), Kyle Busch
(-104), Jamie McMurray (-106), Clint Bowyer (-111) and Kevin Harvick
(-117) round out the top 10.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Larson
will attempt to extend his points lead at Bristol, a track where he’s
logged only two top 10s in six starts and has an average finish of 21.5.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Remember, the regular season points leader earns 15 playoff points.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Food City Celebrates 25th Year With Bristol Motor Speedway</span></i></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Food
City celebrates its 25th year of partnership for the Food City 500 at
Bristol Motor Speedway. The company claims the second longest race
entitlement sponsorship in the Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series and is Bristol Motor Speedway’s longest
serving partner.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bayne Returns To Home State</span></i></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Knoxville,
Tennessee native Trevor Bayne returns to his home state to race in the
Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. In five starts at Bristol,
Bayne has an average finish
of 18.8 and a high showing of fifth.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-33249257768061569552017-04-13T13:31:00.002-04:002017-04-13T13:31:28.437-04:00 XFINITY & CAMPINGWORLD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">NASCAR XFINITY Series</span></u></b></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">XFINITY Dash 4 Cash: Allgaier Has An Extra Weekend To Think About His Chances At Million Dollars</span></b></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Next
week at Bristol Motor Speedway, the NASCAR XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash
returns for its second installment of the 2017 program in the<span style="background: white; color: black;">
</span>Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300 (April 22 at 1 p.m. ET on FS1, PRN and
SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Once again, $100,000 is up for grabs for
contending drivers.
</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Justin
Allgaier took home the first Dash 4 Cash win and monster payload
($100K) earlier this season at Phoenix International Raceway. What’s
even more exciting is if Allgaier can win the NASCAR
XFINITY Series Dash 4 Cash at the next three scheduled events (Bristol
Motor Speedway, Richmond International Raceway and Dover International
Speedway) he will not only bring home a total of $400,000 in winnings,
but XFINITY will also tack on an additional
$600,000 to make Allgaier’s Dash 4 Cash win total a cool million
dollars. </span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But,
before Allgaier becomes a millionaire, he will need to win the next
Dash 4 Cash at Bristol. Allgaier has made 12 starts at Bristol, posting
his first career NASCAR XFINITY Series win (2010),
five top fives, seven top 10s an average finish of 12.7. In his last
four starts at Bristol he has finished in the top-10; including
finishing runner-up last fall.
</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Quick Reminder of The Dash 4 Cash Race Format</span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></i></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Coors Light Pole Qualifying will determine the starting positions for the race.
</span><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The field will then begin the race with Stage 1, followed by Stage 2 and the Final Stage.</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Based
on the participation guidelines announced last year, drivers with more
than five years of full-time Monster Energy NASCAAR Cup Series
experience are restricted from the four races
in the Dash 4 Cash program.</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Dash 4 Cash Eligibility</span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: "MS Mincho";"> </span></i></b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></i></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
top two finishing NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers who have declared for
series points in each of the two stages will make up the four-driver
Dash 4 Cash field for the Final Stage.
Once Stage 1 is complete, the two drivers who lock into the main field
won't have their position counted against other Dash 4 Cash-eligible
drivers following Stage 2 to ensure a four-driver field.</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Bristol Motor Speedway Stages: Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 300)</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The highest finisher in the final stage among the four Dash 4 Cash drivers wins the Dash 4 Cash and a $100,000 prize.</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l7 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Plus, don’t forget<b>
</b>i</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">f a
driver earns two Dash 4 Cash bonus wins over the four Dash 4 Cash races,
that qualifies them for the NASCAR XFINITY Series playoffs.
</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sunoco Rookie William Byron Closing On Points Leader Elliott Sadler
</span></b></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">JR
Motorsports driver and current NASCAR XFINITY Series standings leader
Elliott Sadler’s points lead took a hit last weekend when his teammate
and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate William
Byron closed the 17-point difference to just six points following
Texas. </span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
19-year old from Charlotte, North Carolina, is having a 2017 season
worth paying attention to. In six starts, Byron has accumulated two top
fives, five top 10s and a pole. He also leads the
series in average finishing position with a 7.7.</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Byron also holds the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings lead over second-place, Richard Childress Racing’s Daniel Hemric (-24).
</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But
that’s not all, Byron’s rookie season is already drawing comparisons to
former NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott’s (2014). Elliott
became the first Sunoco Rookie to win the series
title. While that is a long way out for Byron, his first six races are
comparable to Elliott’s – who in his first six races also posted two top
fives and five top 10s. Elliott did post a win and Byron is still
looking for his first in the series, but even
Elliott’s average finish (7.5) is close to Byron’s (7.7). </span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">This
will be Byron’s series track debut at Bristol next weekend; though he
did make one start at BMS in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,
finishing in the top five.
</span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Roush Fenway Racing’s Stable Is Full Of Contenders</span></b></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></b></div>
</div><a href="http://racinghellonwheels.blogspot.com/2017/04/xfinity-campingworld.html#more">Read more »</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-22660083845224275302017-04-13T11:32:00.003-04:002017-04-13T11:32:57.209-04:00Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series</span></u></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Racking Up The Points: Larson Logs Another Runner-Up Finish</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Kyle
Larson continued his breakout season at Texas with his fourth runner-up
showing. The result marked his fifth top-two finish in the last six
races.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Only
four other drivers have logged as many top-two finishes as Larson’s
five through the first seven races of a season: Kevin Harvick (6 top
fives; 2015), Dale Earnhardt (5; 1987), Bobby
Allison (5; 1972, 1979), Cale Yarborough (5, 1974).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
No. 42 Chevrolet driver has the top average finish (5.4) in the Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series, but more importantly, he leads the points
standings by 17 markers over second-place Chase
Elliott. Martin Truex Jr. (-40) sits third, followed by Brad Keselowski
(-41) and Joey Logano (-72). Ryan Blaney (-91), Kyle Busch (-104),
Jamie McMurray (-106), Clint Bowyer (-111) and Kevin Harvick (-117)
round out the top 10.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Remember, the regular season points leader earns 15 playoff points.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Superman’s Not Dead: Jimmie Johnson Picks Up First Win Of Season At Texas</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Jimmie
Johnson’s performance in the first six races of the season was
uncharacteristic of the seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
champion. He had only one top-10 finish – a ninth-place
showing at Phoenix.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Johnson
may have turned his season around at Texas where he worked his way up
from the rear of the field to win his first race of the season and 81st
of his career. The Californian’s seven
victories at Texas are the most in track history. Six of the wins have
come in the last 10 races at the Fort Worth track.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">With
the victory, Johnson earned five playoff points. He now sits 11th in
the points standings, 125 markers below first-place Kyle Larson.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Blaney Puts On Show At Texas</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Despite
a 12th-place finish, Ryan Blaney dazzled at Texas, winning both stages
(to earn two playoff points) and leading a race-high 148 laps.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He
stayed out on the track following a caution with seven laps left in
Stage 2 – a move that allowed him to win the stage, but took him out of
contention to take the checkered flag for the
race. Blaney had to pit under the caution that ended the stage due to a
tire rub and couldn’t work his way back up to the front from the 20th
position.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The 23-year-old Wood Brothers Racing driver discussed how important it was to win the stages, saying:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“I
think it's really helpful for everybody. Helps you for the playoffs. It
helps you throughout the race. You know, that was 20 points we gained
right there. It's just really, really helpful
for your kind of long-term outlook on things, and to go and hold the 4
(Kevin Harvick) and 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) off and then the 48 (Jimmie
Johnson) that last restart before stage 2, that showed how strong our
car was. So it definitely means a lot to everybody
I feel like, and it's nice to be a part of a couple stage wins with the
21 car. It means a lot.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Dale Earnhardt Jr. Records First Top-10 Showing Of 2017</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Dale
Earnhardt Jr. headed into Texas with a season best finish of 16th (Las
Vegas, Auto Club). The six races to start a season without a top 10 was
the longest drought of his career.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He
ended that drought Sunday with a fifth-place showing in the O’Reilly
Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway – the site of his first career
win in 2000. The Lone Star State has treated Earnhardt
well lately. The No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports driver has posted a
top-six finish in his last five starts at Texas.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The top-10 showing was Earnhardt’s first since he finished runner-up at Pocono last June.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“I
figured we would get one sooner or later, but it’s nice,” Earnhardt
said. “I know our fans are really pulling for us. Could have finished a
little better, we will take top five.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Keselowski Off To Strong Start</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Brad
Keselowski has started the season off strong with six consecutive
top-six finishes following his 27th-place showing in the DAYTONA 500.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The No. 2 Ford driver leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with 10 playoff points and is the only multi-race winner.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br />
One of the top drivers in Loop Data so far, Keselowski ranks first in
driver rating (113.6) and fastest laps run (250, 13.6%). He is third in
average running position (7.2) and fourth in laps led (232).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">NASCAR And Charlotte Motor Speedway announce format for 2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race:
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">NASCAR
and Charlotte Motor Speedway announced the format for the 2017 Monster
Energy All-Star Race on May 20 at CMS. The contest rewards winning and
incorporates a fascinating strategy component.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The race format is as follows:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The race will feature four stages (20 laps / 20 laps / 20 laps / 10 laps), totaling 70 laps</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The goal for all competitors: Earn a spot in the final 10-lap, 10-car stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
winner of each of the first three stages will lock up a spot in the
final stage, as long as they remain on the lead lap after the third
stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
cars with the best average finish in the first three stages will make
up the remaining spots needed to fill the 10-car final stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
remaining 10 cars will be lined up by average finish of the first three
stages and given the option to pit. Exit off pit road determines
starting order for final stage.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The winner will be awarded $1,000,000.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The strategy component:<br />
<br />
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Each
team will have one set of these tires available to use at their
discretion. A softer tire provides the car with more grip and, thus,
speed. But there’s a catch: teams that choose to put
on their softer tires to start the final stage must start behind those
that choose regular tires.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-1493911868179458922017-04-12T16:40:00.003-04:002017-04-12T16:40:35.946-04:00SCHEDULE<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Next Race: Food City 500</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Date: Sunday, April 23</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Time: 2 p.m. ET</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">TV: FOX, 2 p.m. ET</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Distance: 266.5 miles (500 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 125),</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Stage 2 (Ends on lap 250), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">NASCAR XFINITY Series</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Next Race: Fitzgerald Glider Kits 300</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Place: Bristol Motor Speedway</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Date: Saturday, April 22</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Time: 1 p.m. ET</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">TV: FS1, 12 p.m. ET</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Radio: PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Distance: 159.9 miles (300 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85),</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 300)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">NASCAR Camping World Truck Series</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Next Race: Toyota Tundra 250</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Place: Kansas Speedway</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Date: Friday, May 12</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The Time: 8 p.m. ET</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">TV: FS1, 8:30 p.m. ET</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: .5in; margin-right: 0in; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: -.5in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Radio: MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="line-height: 12.65pt; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Distance: 250.5 miles (167 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 40), </span></b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span></div>
<b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Stage 2 (Ends on lap 80), Final Stage (Ends on lap 167)</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-57529789284002693742017-04-12T06:12:00.001-04:002017-04-12T06:12:14.298-04:00A Silver Anniversary Gold Rush: <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div align="center" class="aolmail_NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A Silver Anniversary Gold Rush:
</span></u></b></div>
<b>
</b><div align="center" class="aolmail_NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Monster Energy All-Star Race Format Announced
</span></u></b></div>
<b>
</b><div align="center" class="aolmail_NoSpacing1" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">$1 Million At Stake as NASCAR, Charlotte Celebrate 25th Anniversary of ‘One Hot Night’</span></i></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2017MonsterASR_H" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race infographic - horizontal format</a></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://bit.ly/2017MonsterASR_V" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">2017 Monster Energy All-Star Race infographic - vertical format</a></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 11, 2017)</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
– As the engines fired, the lightbulbs buzzed –
a first for the annual non-points extravaganza. Never before had an
all-star race been run under the lights. Dubbed “One Hot Night,” the
1992 race signaled a new era, one that became tradition for the
fan-favorite event.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And
now, 25 years later, past meets present … as another new era begins
with the first all-star race under the Monster Energy banner.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">NASCAR
and Charlotte Motor Speedway today announced the format for the 2017
Monster Energy All-Star Race, one that rewards winning, and incorporates
a fascinating strategy component.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The race format is as follows:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
race will feature four stages (20 laps / 20 laps / 20 laps / 10 laps),
totaling 70 laps, an ode to the 1992 edition of the same distance.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The goal for all competitors: Earn a spot in the final 10-lap, 10-car stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
winner of each of the first three stages will lock up a spot in the
final stage, as long as they remain on the lead lap after the third
stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
cars with the best average finish in the first three stages will make
up the remaining spots needed to fill the 10-car final stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
remaining 10 cars will be lined up by average finish of the first three
stages and given the option to pit. Exit off pit road determines
starting order for final
stage. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The winner will be awarded $1,000,000.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Crew
chief strategy has been at a premium throughout this season, and that
won’t change in the all-star race thanks to a unique opportunity granted
each team: a coveted set of softer
tires. Each team will have one set of these tires available to use at
their discretion. A softer tire provides the car with more grip and,
thus, speed. In other words, it’s a game-changer. But there’s a catch:
Teams that choose to put on their softer tires
to start the final stage must start behind those that choose regular
tires.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
Monster Energy All-Star Race is designed to be fun for fans, showcasing
the best drivers and race teams in NASCAR,” said Steve O’Donnell,
NASCAR executive vice president and
chief racing development officer. “With the effort that Goodyear has
put into this race with multiple tire compounds, I am excited to see how
the stages play out, especially the final 10-car, 10-lap sprint to the
checkered flag.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“The
Monster Energy NASCAR All-Star Race is etched in the history of our
sport for the most memorable moments, trend-setting innovation and
big-money payouts,” said Marcus Smith,
president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. “This new
70-lap format pays tribute to the 25th anniversary of ‘One Hot Night’
while pushing the drivers to the brink of insanity with the chances
they’ll take to win $1 million. I’m as ready as
our fans for a May 20 Saturday night shootout where only a daredevil
behind the wheel truly has a shot at Victory Lane.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Qualifying
for the main event, which returns to Friday night, will again include
the wildly popular ‘no speed limit’ four-tire pit stop. Each team will
have three timed laps, one
of which will include a mandatory four-tire pit stop with no pit-road
speed limits enforced. The five quickest teams will advance to the final
round of qualifying to determine starting positions one through five.
The team that completes the fastest stop will
earn the Pit Crew Competition Award.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The
Monster Energy Open will occur Saturday evening prior to the Monster
Energy All-Star Race and will include three stages (20 laps / 20 Laps /
10 laps). The winner of each stage
will earn a spot in the all-star race. The Monster Energy Open field
will be set by two rounds of traditional knock-out qualifying.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Those
eligible for the Monster Energy All-Star Race include: drivers who won a
points event in either 2016 or 2017; drivers who won a Monster Energy
All-Star Race and compete full-time;
and drivers who won a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series championship and
compete fulltime. Those who have not already earned a spot via the
above criteria can still lock-in by winning a stage in the Monster
Energy Open or by winning the Fan Vote.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Drivers
who have already clinched an all-star spot: Chris Buescher, Kurt Busch,
Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie
Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Matt Kenseth,
Brad Keselowski, Kyle Larson, Joey Logano, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman
and Martin Truex Jr.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Weekend
passes for the Monster Energy All-Star Race start at just $79 and
include admission to the May 19 N.C. Education Lottery 200 NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series race, May 20
Justin Moore All-Star pre-race concert presented by Rayovac and Kwikset
and the Monster Energy Open. Individual adult tickets for the May 20
Monster Energy All-Star Race start at just $39 and tickets for children
13 and under are just $10. To obtain tickets,
camping or race-day upgrades, fans should call 1-800-455-FANS (3267) or
shop online at
</span><a href="http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span></a><a href="http://www.charlottemotorspeedway.com/" target="_blank">www.CharlotteMotorSpeedway.com</a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<b>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<b><span style="background: white; color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The Monster Energy All-Star Race and Monster Energy Open will air live on FS1</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="background: white;">starting
at 6 p.m. ET. The races can </span>also <span style="background: white;">be heard on </span>MRN <span style="background: white;">and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio </span>Channel 90<span style="background: white;">.</span></span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-90021911716410163912017-04-09T18:57:00.000-04:002017-04-09T18:57:14.028-04:00New pavement at Texas can’t stop Jimmie Johnson juggernaut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">New pavement at Texas can’t stop Jimmie Johnson juggernaut</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 9, 2017</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FORT
WORTH, Tex. – Jimmie Johnson proved on Sunday that you can’t keep a
good driver, a good car and a good team down for long—even if you change
the playing field at one of
his favorite race tracks.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion passed Joey Logano
for the lead on Lap 318 of 334 and pulled away for his first victory of
the season in the O’Reilly
Auto Parts 500 at newly repaved and reconfigured Texas Motor Speedway.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
win was Johnson’s seventh at the 1.5-mile track and the 81st of his
career, and it came despite an inauspicious start to the weekend.
Johnson spun in the first round of Friday’s
knockout qualifying and flat-spotted his tires. Because his team
changed tires on the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet before the
race—contravening NASCAR’s mandate that drivers start the race on their
qualifying tires—Johnson dropped to the rear for
the initial green.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By
the time NASCAR called the fifth caution of the race on Lap 121 for
debris on the frontstretch, Johnson had cracked the top-10, and he was
fourth out of the pits for the subsequent
restart on Lap 127.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">At
the end of Stage 2, which concluded on Lap 170, the No. 48 Chevy was
second behind Ryan Blaney, who swept the first and second stages but
finished 12th overall after sliding
through his pit box on the final stop on Lap 300 and losing track
position.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Blaney
led 148 laps. Johnson led 18, but he led the one that counted most. The
victory was Johnson’s sixth in the last 10 races at Texas.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
guess I remembered how to drive, and I guess this team remembered how
to do it!” said Johnson, who has been the victim of some inevitable
second-guessing after scratching
out a lone top-10 (ninth at Phoenix) in the first six races of the
season. “I’m just real proud of this team.
</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“What a tough track and tough conditions. We were really in our wheelhouse and we were just able to execute all day.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
only thing that bothered Johnson was a lack of hydration in the car,
thanks to a malfunction in the fluid delivery system, but with a break
in the schedule for Easter, he’ll
have nearly a fortnight to recover before the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series goes to Bristol Motor Speedway.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Oh,
it was hot in there,” Johnson acknowledged. “I got cooked in the car
today. I didn’t have any fluids, so I’m not feeling the best, but we got
into Victory Lane. I’m so proud
of the fight in this race team. I can’t wait to celebrate during this
off-weekend with my family and friends and really enjoy this.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Johnson
paid a visit to the infield care center after climbing from his car,
before coming to the media center for his post-race press conference.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kyle
Larson finished second for the fourth time this season. A winner at
Fontana, Calif., in late March, Larson also started 32nd because his car
didn’t pass pre-qualifying inspection
in time to make an attempt during time trials. After working his way
toward the front, Larson was sent to the rear again for driving through
too many pit boxes under a competition caution on Lap 33. But he again
found his way to the front. It simply took him
too long to get past Logano during the final 30-lap green-flag run.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Wish
I would have got him by a little sooner, but all in all a great day for
our Credit One Bank Chevy team,” Larson said. “I made a mistake there
on the first pit stop and
clipped too many boxes. I turned in way early. </span></b></div>
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<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
was disappointed in myself then, because I feel like our car was
really, really good the beginning part of the race and probably could
have drove up to the lead and maybe
controlled the race from then on. So you never know.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“But
I just got to focus a little bit harder and not make mistakes, and we
can control some races, lead some laps. All in all, still a really good
finish for us and we extend
the point lead a little bit (to 17 points over ninth-place finisher
Chase Elliott), so a solid day.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
racing groove on the repaved surface began to widen out as the race
progressed, thanks in part to the track’s effort to drag tires and lay
down rubber throughout the weekend.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Yeah,
the track was a little bit better than I think I expected it to be,”
Larson said. “I thought it would be a little bit harder pass. Maybe it
was, but our car was really
good, so it could operate on the bottom of (Turns) 1 and 2 really good,
and that was about the only place you could pass was the exit of 2, so
our car was thankfully working good over there.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">On
a contrarian pit strategy that dictated he stay out in the lead for the
final restart, Logano held third. Polesitter Kevin Harvick came home
fourth after leading 77 laps.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran fifth, far and away his best result of the
season, after starting 37th because of the same pre-qualifying
inspection issue that buffaloed Larson.</span></b></div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-19522473168209118382017-04-08T18:09:00.003-04:002017-04-08T18:09:59.264-04:00Erik Jones dominates at Texas for NASCAR XFINITY Series win <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Erik Jones dominates at Texas for NASCAR XFINITY Series win</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 8, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FORT WORTH, Tex. – What a difference a pit stop made.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Erik
Jones gained two seconds over Ryan Blaney on his final trip to pit
road, and that was all the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
needed for a convincing victory
in Saturday’s My Bariatric Solutions 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at
Texas Motor Speedway.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
winning for the second time at Texas, the first time this season and
the seventh time in his career, Jones led 112 of the 200 laps and
stretched his advantage to more than
three seconds in the late going before driving conservatively over the
last three laps and beating Blaney to the stripe by .512 seconds.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
tiptoed a lot there in the segments and ended up letting the 22
(Blaney) catch us and pass us, but then I was just super aggressive the
whole time in traffic just trying to
make passes as quick as I could and get as many cars as I could between
myself and Ryan, and it paid off,” Jones said.
</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
think we were probably a little slower than him for the last few laps –
he had so many lapped cars to get around that there was no way he was
going to get to us.”</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kevin
Harvick ran third, 21.383 seconds behind Jones, as only nine drivers
finished on the lead lap. Austin Dillon was fourth, followed by Sunoco
rookie Cole Custer, who posted
a career-best fifth, and Darrell Wallace Jr., who finished sixth for
the fifth consecutive race.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">With
the final stage of the race going green from a restart on lap 98 to the
conclusion, Blaney ran down Jones and passed him for the lead on Lap
131. Jones came to pit road
for fresh tires and fuel on Lap 147, and Blaney followed a lap later.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
the exchange of stops, Jones went from a half-second behind to 2.178
seconds ahead of the runner-up, and from that point on it was game over.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
thought our car was pretty good all day,” Blaney said. “The 20 seemed
to be a little better than us for 35 or 40 laps. Then I feel like we
could start running him down. We
passed him before the last pit stop, and I thought our car was pretty
decent right there. I needed to turn a little better early in a run. I
knew it wasn’t going to be that long for the next stint.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“We
didn’t come out with the lead, and that hurt us. I think if we would
have come out with the lead, I don’t know if I could have held him off.
He was pre</span></b></div>
<div class="OYKEW4D-i-w">
<a class="blogg-button blogg-primary" href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=5235371156711256604#editor/src=sidebar" role="button">New post</a> </div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">tty good right away,
but we kind of over adjusted and got too free that last run. I felt
like we were kind of even with them 10 laps into a run, but then he got
so far out ahead that we couldn’t run him down. Just couldn’t get
there.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Stage
racing played a decisive role in strategies employed by NASCAR XFINITY
Series regulars versus Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series drivers
moonlighting in Saturday’s race.
When Garrett Smithley’s spin off Turn 2 brought out the fifth caution
on Lap 84, most of the Cup drivers came to pit road. The XFINITY
regulars, on the other hand, stayed on the track under the yellow to
collect points at the end of the second stage, which
concluded on Lap 90. William Byron won the stage and the accompanying
playoff point, leading nine XFINITY regulars in the top 10 in that
stage.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In contrast, Jones won the first stage, which featured only three full-time XFINITY drivers in the top 10.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Despite
finishing 10th as the first driver one lap down, Elliott Sadler
retained the series lead by six points over Byron in second place.</span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-76826284906884179662017-04-08T16:02:00.003-04:002017-04-08T16:02:52.485-04:00Saturday Texas Notebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Saturday Texas Notebook</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 8, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Notebook Items:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">With lots of speed in the back of the field, Sunday’s race should be a free-for-all</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Trevor Bayne clobbers the wall in practice</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Stenhouse was willing participant in April Fool’s hoax</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">With lots of speed in the back of the field, Sunday’s race should be a free-for-all</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FORT WORTH, Tex. – Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">(1:30
p.m. ET on FOX) promises to be one of the most interesting Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup races of the season—and not just because the repaved,
reconfigured speedway will pose an enormous
challenge to the top drivers.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">When
the green flag waves on Sunday a large percentage of the speed in the
field will be coming from the rear. The Chevrolets of series leader Kyle
Larson and of Hendrick Motorsports
drivers Chase Elliott, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kasey Kahne will start
toward the back on owner points because their cars failed to pass
pre-qualifying inspection in time to make a run during time trails.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Further
expanding the contingent at the rear of the field are Kyle Busch, who
hit the wall during opening practice and did not make a qualifying
attempt; Erik Jones, who destroyed
his primary car during practice and went to a backup; and seven-time
champion Jimmie Johnson, who spun during the first round of knockout
qualifying, flat-spotted his tires and will start from the back on fresh
rubber.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Those
drivers will be trying to work their way forward as quickly as
possible, and they’ll have the muscle to do so. Larson was second
fastest to Brad Keselowski in Saturday’s
first practice session. Earnhardt and Elliott were and fifth on the
speed chart, all but guaranteeing a free-for-all when the race starts.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
ain’t too worried about it,” said Earnhardt, who will start 37th on
Sunday. “The race is pretty long. I don’t know what was wrong with our
car going through tech, but if you
don’t make it, you don’t get out there and I like that. I like the
rules being the same for everybody.”
</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Though he clearly has a fast car, Larson acknowledged the difficulty in starting from the rear on the new Texas asphalt.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
don’t know exactly what happened--we just didn’t make it through tech,”
Larson said. “Yeah, this is not the place you want to not make it
through tech. It will be really hard
to pass, I think, on Sunday. Wherever we end up starting is going to
hurt us.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">TREVOR BAYNE CLOBBERS THE WALL IN PRACTICE</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Moments
after posting the fastest lap in the first six minutes of Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series final practice on Saturday, Trevor Bayne lost
control of his No. 6 Roush Fenway
Racing Ford and obliterated the car against the Turn 2 wall.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Basically,
I wrecked the best race car I ever had,” Bayne said after exiting the
infield care center. “It’s really disappointing for me. I just got into
the gray getting into
Turn 1. I got the right rear just a little bit in the gray, and it was
gone. As soon as that happens, you know you’re in trouble, but you can’t
go back.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“We’ll
just have to be really disciplined in the race not to make mistakes
like that. Hopefully, the backup car is as good as the primary. They do a
really good job at Roush
Fenway Racing of making sure our cars are consistent. Man, I’m so proud
of what we’re doing right now. It’s just frustrating that I had the
best car I’ve ever had here and had an issue.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Because
he was forced to go to a backup car for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts
500, Bayne will give up the 12th-place starting position he earned in
Friday’s time trials and will
take the green flag from the rear of the field.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bayne got 11 laps in the backup car before the end of Happy Hour.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">STENHOUSE WAS WILLING PARTICIPANT IN APRIL FOOL’S HOAX</span></b></div>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">When
Danica Patrick pressed the button on Twitter last Saturday to announce
her engagement to boyfriend Ricky Stenhouse Jr., social media blew up
with the news—until word got
out it was an April Fool’s joke. Stenhouse was in on the prank, but he
had forgotten about it.</span></b></div>
<b>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
was out in the woods working after Martinsville practice, and she says,
‘Hey, it’s April Fool’s—I want to send something out,’” Stenhouse told
reporters on Saturday at Texas
Motor Speedway. “She said, ‘I’ve got this idea. Are you in?’ And I
said, ‘Yeah, I guess so. Let’s do it.’
</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Then
I was on the phone talking to somebody for 30 or 40 minutes, and my
phone kept going off, and I wasn’t sure why it kept going off, and I
forgot she had sent that out. Then
I realized real quick what it was all about.”</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Stenhouse said the joke hadn’t increased the urgency to make a bona fide proposal.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I wouldn’t say there’s a ton of pressure, but I get it from fans a lot,” he said.</span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-46635180947114833822017-04-08T08:34:00.002-04:002017-04-08T08:34:29.370-04:00 Kevin Harvick leads Ford sweep of top five spots in Texas qualifying <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="color: #365f91; font-size: 8.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Kevin Harvick leads Ford sweep of top five spots in Texas qualifying</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 7, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FORT
WORTH, Tex. – Kevin Harvick needed a do-over in the second round of
Friday’s knockout qualifying session at Texas Motor Speedway, but
putting the extra lap on his tires
proved well worth the effort.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Harvick
led not only the second round but also the first and third in winning
the pole for Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway
(1:30 p.m. ET on FOX).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
just didn't feel like I got through Turns 1 and 2 like I needed to,”
Harvick said of his first attempt in the second round. “The front took
off, and I didn't want to do what
everyone was doing in practice and get out of the groove and drive it
into the wall.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It's
been a stressful day, coming in and breaking in a new (resurfaced) race
track and going out there running as fast as we had to run for
qualifying.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
the final round, Harvick secured his second Coors Light Pole Award of
the season in the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, his second of the
season and the 19th of his career
with his fastest lap of the afternoon, covering the distance on the
repaved and reconfigured speedway in 27.217 seconds (198.405 mph).</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">That
was quick enough to edge Ryan Blaney (198.020 mph) for the top starting
spot by .053 seconds. Blaney and Clint Bowyer ran identical times in
the final round, with Blaney
getting the nod for the second position on the basis of owner points.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Man,
I heard that they give you a shotgun when you win the pole here,”
Blaney said of the coveted qualifying trophy. “I saw my lap and thought
that might do it, but Kevin just
snuck by us.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
think I have a really fast Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion. It was
even good in race trim today. The track has come a long way in a few
hours, and hopefully it will widen
out even more for the XFINITY race (Saturday) and for our practices.
Not a bad start to the weekend."</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Ford
drivers swept the top five starting spots, in part because several of
the strongest Chevrolets were out of the equation, having failed to
clear pre-qualifying inspection
in time to make qualifying runs in the first round.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Among
the Chevy drivers missing in action were Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series leader Kyle Larson and the Hendrick Motorsports trio of Dale
Earnhardt Jr., Chase Elliott and
Kasey Kahne.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Hendrick
driver Jimmie Johnson had a different issue. Starting and then aborting
a second lap in the first round, Johnson lost control through Turns 1
and 2 and spun, flat-spotting
his tires. Since drivers must start the race on their qualifying tires,
Johnson sat out the second and third rounds and will start 24th on
Sunday.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
think we used up all our good luck at Homestead last year,” who won his
record-tying seventh title at the South Florida track. “I took the
stripe, and we were in position
to run two (laps) and see what was going to happen. (Crew chief) Chad
(Knaus) called me off when he saw the time.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“When
I heard that, I dumped the throttle real hard to try and check-up and
roll through the center so I could go through the corner slowly; and
when I dumped out of the throttle
it pitched the car sideways and I started chasing it going into the
turn. I thought I had it saved and then I got into all those marbles and
kept getting closer to the wall and spun.”</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
addition to Larson and the Hendrick drivers, Kyle Busch and Erik Jones
did not advance through inspection in time to qualify. Both suffered
accidents in Friday’s opening practice,
with Jones going to a backup car and Busch’s crew attempting to repair
the primary.</span></b></div>
<b>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“We
were just behind the eight ball, having to fix that car, so obviously
we got in line really late and in our haste, we didn’t get our tech
blocks set correctly, so we passed
templates, passed the grid, passed undercar, passed everything except
when we got to the scales, which is the very last thing,” said Adam
Stevens, Busch’s crew chief.</span></b></div>
<b>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“The
wedge has to be within a certain number, and we were below that number.
That’s just for tech – it’s not for on the race track – so the car was
all set to go, and we didn’t
get a chance to set our tech blocks because we were in such a hurry, so
just an error on our part.”</span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-35650339813906376112017-04-07T14:26:00.000-04:002017-04-07T14:26:07.651-04:00Texas Weekend Preview <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Texas Weekend Preview</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 6, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Staff Report
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Elliott poised for first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win at Texas</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">After
making the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs as a rookie in
2016, talented 21-year-old Chase Elliott has raised his performance in
his sophomore season.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">He's
produced three top-five finishes in six starts this year and ranks
second in the series standings, a mere four points behind fellow young
star Kyle Larson.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">All
Elliott needs to truly "arrive" is his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series win. He'll get the chance to accomplish the feat in Sunday's
O'Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas
Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX) – the site of his first NASCAR
XFINITY Series victory.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’m
looking forward to getting back to Texas – what a fun place," Elliott
said. "I think Texas will always be special to me after getting my first
XFINITY Series win there."</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
No. 24 Chevrolet driver finished fifth (spring) and fourth (fall) in
his two Texas starts last season. On Sunday, he'll have to contend with
defending winner Kyle Busch,
and Jimmie Johnson, who boasts a track-record six victories.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">"Texas
is a place I enjoy going to and after the good runs we had there last
season, I’m definitely looking forward to returning," Elliott said.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Byron sets sights on first win</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">William
Byron has always been a quick study. He won four races as a rookie on
his way to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship in 2015. Last
year, he set the NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series rookie record with seven victories. The 19-year-old
Charlotte native was also a straight-A student in high school and is
finishing up his sophomore year at Liberty University.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Byron's
rookie season in the NASCAR XFINITY Series has been no different. He
sits second in the series standings – 17 points behind Elliott Sadler –
on the strength of two top-five
and four top-10 finishes in five starts.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">He'll
attempt to get his first win in Saturday's My Bariatric Solutions 300
at Texas Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX) – a track where he won in
the NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series last year.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
have a good history at Texas Motor Speedway with winning the Truck race
in June last year," Byron said. "Hopefully I can carry some of that
confidence into this weekend’s
race. We have had some good runs lately, a few top fives that we can
continue to build on this weekend.”</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 12.0pt;">Texas Race Weekend Guide</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Race:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">O’Reilly Auto Parts 500</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Place:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Texas Motor Speedway</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Date and Time:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sunday, April 9 at 1:30 p.m. ET</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tune-in:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Distance:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">501 miles (334 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 85), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 170), Final Stage (Ends on lap 334)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">What To Watch For:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Brad
Keselowski goes for his second consecutive win and third victory of the
season at Texas. ... Jimmie Johnson tries to add to his track-record
six wins. ... Erik Jones – a winner at
Texas in the NASCAR XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series – searches
for his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series checkered flag. ... Kyle
Busch attempts to defend his spring Lone Star State victory.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR XFINITY Series</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Race:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">My Bariatric Solutions 300</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Place:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Texas Motor Speedway</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Date and Time:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Saturday, April 8 at 1:30 p.m. ET</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tune-in:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Distance:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">300 miles (200 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 45), Stage 2 (Ends on lap 90), Final Stage (Ends on lap 200)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">What To Watch For:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Elliott
Sadler tries to increase his 17-point standings lead over teammate
William Byron. ... Darrell Wallace Jr., who's placed sixth in his last
four starts, looks for his fifth straight
top-10 finish. ... There have been five different winners in the first
five races.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">--30--</span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-92214723351412662952017-04-05T15:26:00.002-04:002017-04-05T15:26:33.511-04:00Clock Stopper: Keselowski First Driver To Multiple Wins<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Clock Stopper: Keselowski First Driver To Multiple Wins</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Brad
Keselowski became the first driver in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series to win multiple races this season when he passed Kyle Busch with
42 laps remaining and never looked back to
visit Victory Lane for his first time at Martinsville Speedway.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Keselowski,
who notched the first victory for Ford at Martinsville since Oct. 20,
2002 (Kurt Busch, Roush Fenway Racing, 28 races ago), will go for his
second straight victory in Sunday’s
O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on FOX).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
No. 2 Ford driver leads the series with 10 playoff points and sits
fourth in the points standings, 34 markers behind No. 1 ranked Kyle
Larson.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 17 starts at Texas, Keselowski has four top fives, six top 10s and an average finish of 16.2.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Super Soph: Elliott Poised For Win After Strong Start To Second Full-Time Season</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Chase
Elliott finished third at Martinsville for his third top five of the
season. He has an average finish of 7.8, which has propelled him to
second in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
standings – four points below Kyle Larson. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Elliott,
21, is competing in his second full-time season after earning a playoff
berth in his Sunoco Rookie campaign. He has two playoff points via his
two stage wins.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The No. 24 Chevrolet driver performed well at Texas last season with finishes of fifth (spring) and fourth (fall).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">His 5.1 average running position this season is the best in the series.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br />
Texas Ranger: Johnson Tries To Continue Lone Star State Dominance</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Defending Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has struggled early on his quest for a record eighth title.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He’s logged only one top-10 finish (ninth at Phoenix) and ranks 14th in points – 127 markers behind leader Kyle Larson.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Johnson
hopes Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway – a
track where he’s dominated recently – can be the turning point of his
season. The No. 48 Chevrolet driver boasts
a track-record six wins, including a streak of three consecutive
victories from fall of 2014 to fall of 2015. In addition to his
triumphs, Johnson claims 14 top fives, 20 top 10s and an 8.4 average
finish in the Lone Star State.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">New Surface And Configuration To Debut At Texas</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Texas
Motor Speedway made some renovations to its track over the offseason.
Enhancements it made to ensure the best possible experience for fans
included: adding an expansive French drainage
system on the frontstretch and backstretch, repaving the entire track
including pit lane, and re-profiling Turns 1 and 2 (banking reduced from
24 to 20 degrees, racing surface expanded from 60 to 80 feet wide).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Turns 3 and 4 of the track remain 60 feet wide at 24 degrees of banking.</span></b></div>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">JTG-Daugherty Racing Produces Strong Showing At Martinsville</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Road-course
ace AJ Allmendinger is turning into a short-track stud. The No. 47
JTG-Daugherty Racing Chevrolet driver posted a sixth-place showing at
Martinsville Sunday for his fourth consecutive
top-11 finish at “The Paperclip.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Allmendinger’s
JTG-Daugherty teammate, Chris Buescher, logged a season-best 11th-place
showing at Martinsville – his best finish since a fifth-place result at
Bristol last fall. Buescher,
from Prosper, Texas, gets to race at his home track this weekend in
Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">NASCAR Next Alum Jones Beginning To Find Groove</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Erik
Jones, 20, a prolific winner at the NASCAR Camping World Truck and
XFINITY Series levels, is beginning to find his groove as a Sunoco
Rookie of the Year contender in the Monster Energy
NASCAR Cup Series. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">He
hasn’t competed for victories, yet, but the Furniture Row Racing driver
has recorded a top-15 finish in every race except Daytona, where he
wrecked out at the halfway mark.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The NASCAR Next alum sits 13th in the points standings, tops among series rookies.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Although
Jones is the top-ranked rookie in the points standings, Daniel Suarez
leads him in the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Race by two points. Ty Dillon
sits third (10 points behind Suarez),
followed by Corey Lajoie (-16) and Gray Gaulding (-38).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><br />
Busch Ready To Rebound From Martinsville Disappointment With Defense Of Texas Victory</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Kyle
Busch led 274 of 500 laps in last weekend’s STP 500 at Martinsville
Speedway, but could not hold off Brad Keselowski at the end and finished
second.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
2015 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion will try to rebound in
Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway – a race he won
last year.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In 22 starts at Texas, Busch claims two wins, 11 top fives, 12 top 10s and an average finish of 11.6.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver is sixth in the standings, 80 points
behind leader Kyle Larson. He has one playoff point via his stage win at
Daytona.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Stenhouse Pulls Off Top-10 Finish at Martinsville</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Ricky
Stenhouse Jr. used NASCAR’s new race enhancements to add some extra
excitement to Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville. He bumped race leader
Kyle Busch on the final lap and passed him so
he could stay on the lead lap to begin the third stage. Stenhouse
seized the opportunity to log a 10th-place finish – his second top-10 of
the season.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
move not only helped Stenhouse, it took a playoff point away from Busch
because it allowed Chase Elliott the opportunity to beat Busch to the
stripe.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The
Roush Fenway Racing wheelman will attempt to grab another top 10 at
Texas, a track where he’s never finished higher than 15th.
</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNoSpacing">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Gridiron Gang – NFL Stars To Appear At Texas Motor Speedway:
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Four
NFL players will attend Sunday’s O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor
Speedway. Headlining the group is Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrance
Williams. He will be joined by his teammates, tight
tnd Rico Gathers, a former Baylor basketball star, as well as center
Joe Looney. Detroit Lions defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson – a 2015
consensus All-American and national champion at Alabama – will also take
in the race.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-67771396411337753982017-04-03T06:53:00.003-04:002017-04-03T06:53:36.945-04:00Brad Keselowski ends Ford drought with Martinsville victory<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Brad Keselowski ends Ford drought with Martinsville victory</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 2, 2017</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">MARTINSVILLE,
Va. – In Sunday’s STP 500 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at
Martinsville Speedway, everything worked – but nothing more than Brad
Keselowski’s race-winning
No. 2 Ford.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Yes,
that’s right, a Ford. The car maker found Victory Lane at the .526-mile
short track for the first time since Oct. 20, 2002, when Kurt Busch won
at NASCAR’s oldest and smallest
premier series track in a Roush Fenway Racing Ford.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Keselowski
and runner-up Kyle Busch swapped the lead during the final 64-lap
green-flag run, with Busch taking the point on Lap 444 of 500, and
Keselowski powering back past
Busch’s No. 18 Toyota on Lap 458. From that point, Keselowski pulled
away to win by 1.806 seconds, as Busch lost the long-run speed he had
demonstrated for most of the afternoon.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“This
is awesome,” said Keselowski, the season’s first two-time winner.
“We’ve ran so good here with the Miller Lite Ford, but something always
happens and we haven’t been able
to bring it home. Martinsville is just one of those champions’ tracks.
The guys that run well everywhere run well here, and it’s really just an
honor to win here and get to compete here.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“This
track is 70 years old and a lot of legends have won here. It feels
great to be able to join them and bring home a (grandfather) clock
(trophy). A lot of people don’t know
this, but those clocks are built in my hometown in Rochester Hills,
Michigan, so it’s cool to get one of them from back home. I have one as a
truck owner, but not as a driver, so I’m glad to bring one back as a
driver…</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I don’t like to keep trophies at my house, but this one’s going to my house. That’s how special it is.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
victory was Keselowski’s 23rd in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series,
and it vaulted him into the playoff points lead with 10. In the series
standings, Keselowski leaves
Martinsville in fourth place, 34 points behind leader Kyle Larson and
30 behind second-place Chase Elliott, who parlayed a front-row starting
position into a third-place finish.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Fourteen
cautions for 95 laps punctuated an action-filled afternoon that
featured remarkable comebacks, perfect weather, Ford board member and
namesake Edsel Ford II in the pace
car and a tire combination that started to open up the outside lane and
facilitate passing on the high side.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Keselowski
had to overcome his own challenges. A speeding penalty under caution on
lap 72 sent him to the rear of the field, but pit strategy – staying
out under yellow on Lap
109 – got him back to the front. Joey Logano, Keselowski’s Team Penske
teammate, overcame both a pit road penalty and a cut tire that put him
two laps down to finish fourth.</span></b></div>
<b>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Austin Dillon ran fifth, posting his first top-five finish since a fourth-place run at Bristol last August.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Busch,
who led a race-high 274 laps to Keselowski’s 116, was disappointed that
the performance of his Camry fell off after his final pit stop on Lap
336.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“All
we did was put four tires on it, and it went to junk,” Busch said. “I
hate it for our guys. They’ve deserved all year much better finishes
than what we’ve been able to produce,
and here’s another one today. Just a frustrating season so far, but we
give it everything we got. We do all we can with what we’re given at the
particular time and try to execute and do a good job.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“My
pit crew did great today. (Crew chief) Adam (Stevens) and the guys did
an awesome job on this car this weekend to get it to where it was. We
were lights out faster than those
guys after 20 laps or so. There on that run it was at minimum at least
three tenths slower the entire time, and that’s why Brad just was able
to drive away there at the end. We were really really, really
struggling. I’m surprised I held off the 24 (Elliott),
but you know, overall, just not quite getting the finishes we need.”</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Martin
Truex Jr. won the first stage to bring his playoff point total to nine,
second only to Keselowski. By the end of Stage 2, which featured a
119-lap green-flag run, the
intensity had ratcheted up considerably.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Coming
to the green/checkers on Lap 260, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who had just
been lapped, gave race leader Kyle Busch a couple of sharp taps with his
bumper, sending Busch toward
the top of the track. Elliott powered to the inside off Turn 4, edging
Busch for the stage win at the stripe.
</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">But
Keselowski and Busch dominated the proceedings from then on, with
Keselowski winning the clock and Ford finding the winner’s circle after a
28-race drought at the vaunted
short track.</span></b></div>
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</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-90852963634126575662017-04-02T07:18:00.000-04:002017-04-02T07:18:15.425-04:00Polesitter Chase Elliott wins hotly contested Martinsville Truck race<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Polesitter Chase Elliott wins hotly contested Martinsville Truck race</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 1, 2017</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">MARTINSVILLE,
Va. – Polesitter Chase Elliott held off defending NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series champion Johnny Sauter after a restart with 12 laps left
and pulled away to
win Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway by
1.865 seconds.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Elliott
grabbed the lead from third-place finisher Christopher Bell on Lap 234,
when Bell’s Toyota tangled with Austin Cindric’s Ford through Turns 1
and 2. Bell lost the top
spot, and Sauter charged past into the second position before NASCAR
threw the 10th and final caution of the race.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
decisive move, however, came after the final restart on Lap 239, when
Elliott blocked Sauter’s crossover move in Turn 3 and kept the lead.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It
was fun today,” Elliott said. “I had some help there with Christopher’s
misfortune. I was trying all I could to get by him. He was doing a
really good job of maintaining
my bumper, a good job with me hitting him… His bumper was getting
progressively more blue (the color of Elliott’s car) as the day went.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It was a hard-fought battle, for sure.”</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">And
then came the battle with Sauter, who said he would have made the same
blocking move on the final restart, had the roles been reversed.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Chase did what he needed to do with the old block,” Sauter said.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I saw him coming in the mirror with a big run, and I knew I had to block him,” Elliott said. “Fortunately, it worked out.”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bell
led a race-high 96 laps, 90 in the final 110-lap stage. Before that,
GMS Racing teammates Elliott and Sauter dominated the action. Elliott, a
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
regular getting extra track time in preparation for Sunday’s STP 500 (2
p.m. ET on FS1), won the first stage.</span></b></div>
<b>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sauter
took the second stage but had to come through the field from 13th
following the restart for the third stage after pitting for tires in a
contrarian strategy to that of
Elliott, who got fresh rubber before the end of Stage 2.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Elliott
(92 laps), Sauter (62 laps) and Bell were the only drivers to lead the
250-lap event at the .526-mile track, but the action behind them was
ferocious, producing 10 cautions
for 63 laps. </span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sunoco
Rookie of the Year contender Noah Gragson recovered from a spin off
Chase Briscoe’s bumper to finish fourth, one spot behind his Kyle Busch
Motorsports teammate. Ty Dillon
and Brett Moffitt ran fifth and sixth, respectively.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Note:
Sauter took over the series lead by four points over Bell, who won the
previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta… Elliott and
Sauter reversed their positions
from the fall race at Martinsville, which Sauter won on the way to his
first championship.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race - Alpha Energy Solutions 250</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Martinsville Speedway</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Martinsville, Virginia</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Saturday, April 1, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 1. (1) Chase Elliott(i), Chevrolet, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 2. (2) Johnny Sauter, Chevrolet, 250.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 3. (6) Christopher Bell, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 4. (9) Noah Gragson #, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 5. (16) Ty Dillon(i), Chevrolet, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 6. (15) Brett Moffitt, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 7. (5) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, 250.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 8. (3) Timothy Peters, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 9. (4) Matt Crafton, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 10. (19) Ryan Truex, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 11. (8) Chase Briscoe #, Ford, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 12. (20) Regan Smith, Ford, 250.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 13. (7) Harrison Burton, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 14. (22) Austin Hill, Ford, 250.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 15. (11) Kaz Grala #, Chevrolet, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 16. (14) Kyle Donahue, Chevrolet, 250.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 17. (10) Grant Enfinger #, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 18. (21) Joe Nemechek, Chevrolet, 250.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 19. (27) Cody Coughlin #, Toyota, 250.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 20. (17) Ben Rhodes, Toyota, 249.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 21. (13) Austin Cindric #, Ford, 249.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 22. (25) Caleb Holman, Chevrolet, 249.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 23. (31) Wendell Chavous #, Chevrolet, 248.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 24. (26) TJ Bell, Chevrolet, 247.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 25. (18) Stewart Friesen #, Chevrolet, 247.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 26. (24) Justin Haley #, Chevrolet, 246.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 27. (23) Brandon Brown(i), Chevrolet, 242.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 28. (12) John H Nemechek, Chevrolet, 226.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 29. (28) Travis Kvapil, Chevrolet, Engine, 186.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 30. (30) Donnie Levister, Chevrolet, Brakes, 100.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 31. (32) Jordan Anderson, Chevrolet, Brakes, 24.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 32. (29) Bryce Napier, Chevrolet, Parked, 3.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Average Speed of Race Winner: 64.867 mph.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Time of Race: 02 Hrs, 01 Mins, 38 Secs. Margin of Victory: 1.865 Seconds.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Caution Flags: 10 for 63 laps.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lead Changes: 4 among 3 drivers.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Lap Leaders: C. Elliott(i) 1-75; C. Bell 76-81; J. Sauter 82-143; C. Bell 144-233; C. Elliott(i) 234-250.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Leaders
Summary (Driver, Times Lead, Laps Led): C. Bell 2 times for 96 laps;
C. Elliott(i) 2 times for 92 laps; J. Sauter 1 time for 62 laps.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Stage #1 Top Ten: 23,21,88,4,98,29,17,18,99,8</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Stage #2 Top Ten: 21,88,29,17,98,24,51,33,4,02</span></b></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-4299968389483671732017-04-01T17:35:00.000-04:002017-04-01T17:35:14.533-04:00Saturday Martinsville Notebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Saturday Martinsville Notebook</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">April 1, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Notebook Items:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kyle Busch: Parity in NASCAR racing is a good thing</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sonoma helps Allmendinger at Martinsville? Go Figure</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Short Strokes</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Kyle Busch: Parity in NASCAR racing is a good thing</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">MARTINSVILLE,
Va. – Joe Gibbs Racing, which dominated the first half of the 2016
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, is winless in five races to
start the current season.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">So is Hendrick Motorsports, the juggernaut that carried Jimmie Johnson to his record-tying seventh championship last year.</span></b></div>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Instead,
Kyle Larson delivered Chip Ganassi Racing its second victory in as many
years last Sunday at Auto Club Speedway, and Ryan Newman broke a
127-race drought with his strategic
win at Phoenix International Raceway.</span></b></div>
<b>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">But don’t think for a minute that Busch is worried heading into Sunday’s STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway (2 p.m. ET on FS1).</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
don't think it should be alarming,” Busch said on Friday at
Martinsville, where he broke through with his first victory at the track
in last year’s spring race. “I think it's
probably a good thing, to be honest with you. There needs to be more
parity in our sport. There needs to be other teams that have the
opportunity to get up there and run well and win races.
</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“You
see RCR (Richard Childress Racing) has done that (with Newman). You see
Ganassi has done that. Those would be two teams that probably haven't
won in the last couple years.
I know Larson won a race last year, but not regularly, let's say, like
the JGR bunch or the HMS bunch. Our time is coming. We know that. We'll
turn our program around. We'll get it up to speed to where we need to.”</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Busch
has acknowledged that JGR perhaps hasn’t kept up with other Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series teams in adapting to the new lower-downforce
aerodynamic package introduced
full-time this season.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
think we're playing a little bit of catch up right now, to be honest
with you,” Busch said. “We do have great partners with the guys at
Furniture Row that have been running
really good. They've been strong and up front each week. </span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“They
have been helping us as well, getting our program to where we believe
we know it can be. They've shown us. They've had the potential each
week. We just have to get there
with ourselves.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">SONOMA HELPS ALLMENDINGER AT MARTINSVILLE? GO FIGURE</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">At first glance, there’s nothing even remotely similar between Martinsville Speedway and Sonoma Raceway.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">At
.526 miles, Martinsville is the shortest of short tracks in the Monster
Energy NASCAR Cup Series, a narrow, flat, paper-clip-shaped venue with
tight turns and concrete corners.</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sonoma, on the other hand, is a 1.99-mile road course with 10 turns (some of them right-handers) and dramatic elevation changes.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Surprisingly,
though, AJ Allmendinger has translated the techniques that have made
him a road-course ace into an excellent record at Martinsville, where he
has posted a pair
of second-place finishes, most recently in last year’s spring race.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
think it’s a race track that, when I first started, I had no clue how
to get around, and just over the years trying to learn the techniques,”
Allmendinger said in explaining
his grasp of Martinsville, the host track for Sunday’s STP 500. “It’s
somewhat like a road course in the sense of the way you brake and some
of the stuff you can do with the throttle and things like that.
</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“A
driver can make a bit of a difference here, so more than anything, just
trying to learn the techniques. You still have to have a great race
car. The last couple of years we’ve
had a good set-up and been able to use it to have some pretty good
runs.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Allmendinger
ran 53 laps in Saturday morning’s first practice, posting the fifth
fastest speed at 93.729 mph. On Sunday, he hopes to complete 500
circuits.
</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It’s
just a tough race,” Allmendinger said. “It’s one of those races that
you can’t really let your guard down mentally for 500 laps. Anything can
happen, usually get a late-race
restart, so a race track that has been tough, but over the last couple
of years has been really good for us, and hopefully can have another
good run – because we definitely need it.”</span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Allmendinger
currently is 30th in the series standings, and with qualifying rained
out on Friday, he’ll start 30th on owner points on Sunday and will have
to come through the
field to achieve a strong finish.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">SHORT STROKES</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Three
drivers who already have won races this season were the three fastest
in Saturday’s first practice. Atlanta winner Brad Keselowski topped the
speed chart at 94.406 mph,
followed by Phoenix winner Ryan Newman and Las Vegas winner Martin
Truex Jr…</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Sunoco
Rookie of the Year contender Daniel Suarez, who backed his No. 19 Joe
Gibbs Racing Toyota into the Turn 3 wall in Friday’s opening practice,
had trouble getting his backup
car up to speed on Saturday morning. Suarez ran 75 laps in Saturday’s
first session and was 34th fastest at 92.056 mph…</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
warmer conditions during final practice, Keselowski was fourth fastest
behind Clint Bowyer, who led the session at 93.863 mph, Kyle Busch
(93.567 mph) and Jamie McMurray (93.530
mph). Suraez improved to 25th in Happy Hour with a top lap at 92.312
mph.</span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-13014407914964855642017-03-31T18:30:00.000-04:002017-03-31T18:30:01.770-04:00Qualifying rainout puts Larson on the pole at Martinsville <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Qualifying rainout puts Larson on the pole at Martinsville</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">March 31, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">MARTINSVILLE,
Va. – For the second straight week, Kyle Larson will start on the pole
for a Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">He can only hope the result of the race is the same, too.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Last week, Larson won the pole at Auto Club Speedway and went on to win last Sunday’s race at the two-mile track.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">On
Friday, when rain washed out time trials at Martinsville Speedway,
Larson earned the top starting spot for Sunday’s STP 500 (2 p.m. ET on
FS1) on the basis of owner points.
However, Larson will have to overcome his own history at the .526-mile
track.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">True,
Larson finished third in the Martinsville spring race a year ago, but
that was likely an aberration. In six career starts his average result
there is 22.5, with no other
top 10s.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It
definitely helps to start up front,” said Larson, the only driver to
earn points in the first two stages of all five races this season. “I
think this will be my most difficult
track probably to earn stage points in each of the stages, just because
it’s not a track that suits me that well.
</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“This
is the toughest track for me, so it’s cool to be the only guy that has
made points every stage. I think the stage points are a big deal to gain
points and help point your
way to the playoffs if need be. So, yeah, it’s been nice to run so
strong early in the year, especially all throughout the race because,
like I said, those stage points have turned out to be really big and
important.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Chase
Elliott, second to Larson in the series standings will start on the
outside of the front row, putting two drivers with dubious results at
Martinsville ahead of speed horses
Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex Jr. and Joey Logano in third through
fifth, respectively.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I’m
working through a lot of race tracks, for sure,” Elliott said.
“Martinsville and Sonoma are, to me, the two that I feel like I need to
work on the most. That’s not to say
there’s not other places I need to work on. But I think Martinsville
and Sonoma are the two places that seemed to give me the most troubles
last year.
</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“So,
I’m just trying to work through that. I think some of the things you
see here at Martinsville are some of the same things you see at Sonoma,
with how tight the corners are
and how slow some parts of the race track are. So I think there’s some
similarities there; and hopefully, if one can be corrected, the other
one will come along with it.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Logano has won three of the last four contested poles at NASCAR’s oldest track.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Jamie
McMurray, Ryan Blaney, Clint Bowyer, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch will
take the green flag from positions six through 10 on the grid,
respectively.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying - STP 500</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Martinsville Speedway</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Martinsville, Virginia</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Friday, March 31, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 1. (42) Kyle Larson, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 1st.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 2. (24) Chase Elliott, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 2nd.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 3. (78) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 3rd.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 4. (2) Brad Keselowski, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 4th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 5. (22) Joey Logano, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 5th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 6. (1) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 6th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 7. (21) Ryan Blaney, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 7th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 8. (14) Clint Bowyer, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 8th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 9. (4) Kevin Harvick, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 9th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 10. (18) Kyle Busch, Toyota, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 10th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 11. (31) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 11th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 12. (11) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 12th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 13. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 13th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 14. (41) Kurt Busch, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 14th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 15. (77) Erik Jones #, Toyota, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 15th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 16. (6) Trevor Bayne, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 16th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 17. (48) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 17th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 18. (43) Aric Almirola, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 18th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 19. (19) Daniel Suarez #, Toyota, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 19th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 20. (3) Austin Dillon, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 20th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 21. (88) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 21st.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 22. (27) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 22nd.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 23. (13) Ty Dillon #, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 23rd.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 24. (17) Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 24th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 25. (20) Matt Kenseth, Toyota, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 25th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 26. (95) Michael McDowell, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 26th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 27. (34) Landon Cassill, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 27th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 28. (32) Matt DiBenedetto, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 28th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 29. (10) Danica Patrick, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 29th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 30. (47) AJ Allmendinger, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 30th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 31. (72) Cole Whitt, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 31st.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 32. (15) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 32nd.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 33. (37) Chris Buescher, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 33rd.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 34. (38) David Ragan, Ford, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 34th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 35. (83) * Corey LaJoie #, Toyota, Open Team - 2017 Owner Points 36th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 36. (33) Jeffrey Earnhardt, Chevrolet, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 37th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 37. (23) Gray Gaulding #, Toyota, Charter Team - 2017 Owner Points 38th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 38. (51) * Timmy Hill(i), Chevrolet, Open Team - 2017 Owner Points 40th.</span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-27904414748666789042017-03-31T09:59:00.002-04:002017-03-31T09:59:16.811-04:00Martinsville Weekend Preview<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Martinsville Weekend Preview</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">March 27, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Staff Report</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Red-hot Larson goes for second consecutive win, fifth straight top-two finish at Martinsville</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">After
running out of gas with the lead on the final lap of the Daytona 500
and finishing runner-up in the three subsequent races, Kyle Larson
finally got his first win of the
season.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
No. 42 Chevrolet driver led a race-high 110 laps on his way to Victory
Lane in last Sunday's Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana,
California.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">This
weekend, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series heads back east to
Martinsville (Virginia) Speedway where Larson will go for his second
consecutive win and fifth straight
top-two finish in Sunday's STP 500 (2 p.m. ET on FS1).</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">"Our
cars are by far as good as they've ever been, really good at every race
track right now," Larson said. "In both series I feel like I have a
shot to win every time I go to
the race track." </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Larson's
early-season performance, highlighted by his 3.8 average finish, has
vaulted him to first in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points
standings. He currently sits
29 points above second-place Chase Elliott. A Japanese-American, Larson
is the first alumnus of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity development
program to lead the Monster Energy Series in points.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
six career starts at Martinsville, the 24-year-old has finished better
than 14th only once – third in last year’s spring race.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">"In
the past, I had race tracks where I knew I would be good at," Larson
said. "But right now we're going to some tracks that aren't great for
me, and running up front. It's
a lot of fun to have that confidence in the race team, go to the race
track, fight hard and run for wins."</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bell ready to continue early-season success</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">There's been no sophomore slump for Christopher Bell in his second full-time season in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">The
22-year-old Oklahoman tops the standings by seven points over defending
series champion Johnny Sauter after an eighth-place finish at Daytona
and win at Atlanta to open the
season. Bell, who became the first driver to sweep the stages and win a
race under NASCAR's enhanced format at Atlanta, leads the Camping World
Truck Series with seven playoff points.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">On
Saturday, Bell will attempt to extend his points lead in the Alpha
Energy Solutions 250 at Martinsville Speedway (3 p.m. ET on FOX) – the
first NASCAR Camping World Truck
Series race in a month.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
two career starts at Martinsville – both last season – the No. 4 Kyle
Busch Motorsports driver finished 19th (spring) and fourth (fall).</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">"The
more seat time you have the better off you are, so I'm looking forward
to going back to Martinsville for a third time," Bell said. "It's a
tough track because it's very
unique – there's nothing else out there like it. It's a short track,
it's really small, there are a lot of vehicles out there on the track
and because of all of that it's pretty easy to get roughed up. You have
to make sure you run a smart race yourself, but
you also have to be extra careful of what the other drivers are doing
around you because the quarters are so tight."</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Martinsville Race Weekend Preview</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Race:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> STP 500</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Place:
</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Martinsville Speedway</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Date and Time:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Sunday, April 2 at 2 p.m. ET</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tune-in:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Distance:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 263 miles (500 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 130),</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Stage 2 (Ends on lap 260), Final Stage (Ends on lap 500)</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">What To Watch For:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
Seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson
attempts to
extend his active Martinsville wins lead to 10. Johnson won last year's
fall race at "The Paperclip." Kyle Busch, last season's spring
Martinsville winner, tries to defend his victory. ... Brad Keselowski
goes for his fifth consecutive top-five finish. ...
Clint Bowyer attempts to build on his third-place finish last Sunday at
Auto Club. The showing was his best since June 28, 2015 at Sonoma.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Camping World Truck Series</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Race:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Alpha Energy Solutions 250</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Place:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> Martinsville Speedway</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Date and Time</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">: Saturday, April 1 at 3 p.m. ET</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Tune-in:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Distance:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"> 131.5 miles (250 laps); Stage 1 (Ends on lap 70),
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Stage 2 (Ends on lap 140), Final Stage (Ends on lap 250)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">What To Watch For:</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">
2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion Justin Haley, 17, makes
his season 2017
debut. ... Johnny Sauter goes for a track-record fourth win at
Martinsville Speedway. He visited Victory Lane at "The Paperclip" last
year. ... Five different drivers have taken the checkered flag in the
last five races at Martinsville. ... Chase Elliott will
compete in Saturday's Alpha Energy Solutions 250 for GMS racing. ...
NASCAR Next alumnus Harrison Burton will make his NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series season debut in Saturday's race.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-90467744314323573002017-03-29T18:30:00.000-04:002017-03-29T18:30:25.379-04:00CAMPINGWORLD N XFINITY <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">NASCAR XFINITY Series</span></u></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Five Different Winners Through First Five NASCAR XFINITY Series Races</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This
season marks the 14th time in NASCAR XFINITY Series history the first
five races of the season have been won by five different drivers. It’s
been 11 years (2006) since the
last time the series has seen the feat accomplished. Ryan Reed
(Daytona), Kyle Busch (Atlanta), Joey Logano (Las Vegas), Justin
Allgaier (Phoenix) and Kyle Larson (Auto Club) are this season’s five
different winners. Also of note, five different organizations
have also visited Victory Lane – Roush Fenway Racing (Daytona), Joe
Gibbs Racing (Atlanta), Team Penske (Las Vegas), JR Motorsports
(Phoenix) and Chip Ganassi Racing (Auto Club). The NASCAR XFINITY
Series record for largest number of different winners in
a single season is 18 – set back in 1988. Last season had 14 different
winners. The series resumes in all its grandeur at Texas Motor Speedway
on Saturday, April 8 on FOX (at 1:30 p.m. ET).
</span></b></div>
<b>
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<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sadler Opens Up Points Lead Going Into First Off Weekend Of Season</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Over
the past three weeks, JR Motorsports veteran and NASCAR XFINITY Series
driver standings leader Elliott Sadler has been accumulating points and
distancing himself from the
rest of the pack in the 2017 standings. Following Las Vegas, Sadler had
a four-point lead over second-place in the series driver standings,
then two weeks ago following Phoenix he opened the lead up to 11 points.
Now following a seventh-place finish at Auto
Club, he is 17 points ahead of his JRM teammate William Byron in
second. In five starts this season, Sadler has posted two top fives,
four top 10s and an average finish of 9.8. He also has two Stage wins
that have produced two playoff points. Sadler’s season-to-date
loop data stats also point to why he has been so successful early this
season. Among drivers that have made all five starts in 2017, Sadler
leads the NASCAR XFINITY Series in the following categories: driver
rating (101.3), average running position (7.870)
and laps in the top 15 (768 laps, 91.8%). </span></b></div>
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</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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<b>
</b><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="aolmail_MsoNormalTable" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 1.25pt; margin-left: 6.75pt; margin-right: 6.75pt;">
<tbody>
<tr style="height: 14.85pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 14.85pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<b><br /></b></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 14.85pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<b><br /></b></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 14.85pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<b><br /></b></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 14.85pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<b><br /></b></td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 14.85pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<b><br /></b></td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 14.2pt;">
<td colspan="5" nowrap="nowrap" style="background: #F2F2F2; height: 14.2pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">NASCAR XFINITY Series Points Earned In Stages 1 & 2</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Rank</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Driver</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Stage 1 Pts</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Stage 2 Pts</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="border-bottom: double windowtext 2.25pt; border: none; height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Combined</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">1</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Elliott Sadler</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">26</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">27</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">53</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">2</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Justin Allgaier</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">11</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">17</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">28</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">3</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">William Byron</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">18</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">8</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">26</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">4</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Brennan Poole</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">12</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">5</span></b></div>
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<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">17</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">5</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Daniel Hemric</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">9</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">8</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">17</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">6</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Cole Custer</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">8</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">6</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">14</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">7</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Darrell Wallace Jr.</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">7</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">5</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">12</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">8</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Matt Tifft</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">9</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">3</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">12</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">9</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Tyler Reddick</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">3</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">7</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">10</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">10</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Blake Koch</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">7</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">2</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">9</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">11</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ryan Reed</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">1</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">7</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">8</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">12</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dakoda Armstrong</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">3</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">3</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">6</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="height: 12.25pt;">
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">13</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Brendan Gaughan</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">2</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">4</span></b></div>
</td>
<td nowrap="nowrap" style="height: 12.25pt; padding: 0in 5.75pt 0in 5.75pt;" valign="bottom">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-element-anchor-horizontal: column; mso-element-anchor-vertical: paragraph; mso-element-frame-hspace: 9.0pt; mso-element-wrap: around; mso-element: frame; mso-height-rule: exactly;">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">6</span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Stage Racing Can Pay Big Points In New Enhanced Format</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
new enhanced formats this season have brought a lot to the table as far
as accumulating points is concerned throughout a NASCAR XFINITY Series
race. Thirteen different NXS
drivers have taken advantage of the new system to earn points by
finishing inside the top 10 in the first two stages of a race. Week-in
and week-out, the Stage points can add up to be quite the advantage.
Here is a look at the Stage point accumulators through
the first five races of 2017. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Of
the thirteen NASCAR XFINITY Series drivers that have earned points from
the first two stages of the first five races, Elliott Sadler has earned
the most. He has nearly double
the amount (53 points) of his nearest competitor, Justin Allgaier with
28. Sadler’s stage points are a big contributor as to why he has such a
large lead in the NASCAR XFINITY Series driver standings. Sadler has
finished inside the top 10 of every Stage except
the two at Las Vegas this season. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">NASCAR XFINITY Series Stats Through Five Races</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">With
the NASCAR XFINITY Series taking a break this weekend, let’s look at
how this season’s competitors have performed statistically through the
first five races:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Number of Races This Season:
5</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Number of Winners:
5 - <i> the most since 2006 (5)</i></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Number of Coors Light Poles winners:
4 – <i>the same number as last season through five races</i></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Average Number of Leaders:
5.40 - <i>the most since 2015 (6.20)</i></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Average Number of Lead Changes:
13.60 – <i>the most since 2013 (16.20)</i></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Average Margin of Victory:
0.459 second – <i>the closest MOV since 2010 (0.420 second)</i></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">All
five races this season have had a margin of victory less than a second –
the most since the inception of electronic scoring in the NASCAR
XFINITY Series in 1996.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">~<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Percentage of Lead Lap Finishes:
59% - <i>the highest since 2005 (62.3%) </i></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">NASCAR Camping World Truck Series</span></u></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ringing The Bell Into Martinsville</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series picks back up this weekend at
Martinsville Speedway for the Alpha Energy Solutions 250 on Saturday,
April 1 (3 p.m. ET on FOX). NASCAR Camping
World Truck Series points leader Christopher Bell will look to capture
back-to-back wins for the first time in his young career.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bell
captured his first win of the 2017 season in the Active Pest Control
200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The win jolted him into the 2017 NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series playoffs
and atop of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
No. 4 Kyle Busch Motorsports driver has raced in two career races at
Martinsville Speedway– both in 2016. He finished 19th in April and
fourth in October.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bell
leads the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points standings by seven
points over reigning series champion Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes.
Sunoco Rookie contender Kaz Grala
(-15) and Matt Crafton (-21) round out the top five. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Sauter Looking To Skip Into Martinsville Speedway History</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Defending
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion Johnny Sauter has a chance
to make history at Martinsville Speedway this weekend with a win in the
Alpha Energy Solutions
250. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">If
Sauter captures at win at Martinsville on Saturday, he would become the
all-time leader in wins in track history with four. Sauter captured his
third win at Martinsville last
season when he took the checkered in the fall and punched his ticket
into the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the NASCAR
Camping World Truck Series playoffs.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
seven of his last eight NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at
Martinsville, Sauter has posted top-10 finishes, including two wins
(2016 – fall and 2013 – spring).
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">In
18 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career starts at Martinsville
Speedway, Sauter has three wins, six top fives, nine top 10s and 386
laps led.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mixing It Up At Martinsville</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The last five NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Martinsville Speedway have all been won by different race winners.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Johnny Sauter (2016 – fall)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kyle Busch (2016 – spring)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Matt Crafton (2015 – fall)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Joey Logano (2015 – spring)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Darrell Wallace Jr. (2014 – fall)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Will
Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 produce its sixth-consecutive
different NASCAR Camping World Truck Series winner at Martinsville
Speedway?
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">There have been seven drivers who have won multiple NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at Martinsville Speedway since 1995:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kevin Harvick (3)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Johnny Saunter (3)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Dennis Setzer (3)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Mike Skinner (3)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Matt Crafton (2)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Denny Hamlin (2)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Darrell Wallace Jr. (2)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Getting Off To A Fast Start
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Since
2010, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver who has started on
the pole for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville
Speedway, has gone on to win
the race five times. Those winners account for 36 percent of all 14
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series wins at Martinsville from 2010-16.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Starting with the most recent, below are the drivers to win the pole and the race at Martinsville Speedway between 2010-16:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Joey Logano (2015 – spring)
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Darrell Wallace Jr. (2014 – fall)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kevin Harvick (2012 – spring)
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Johnny Sauter (2011 – spring)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kevin Harvick (2010 – spring)</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Based
on recent NASCAR Camping World Truck Series history (2010-2016), if you
win the pole at Martinsville, you have a 36 percent chance at winning
the race.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, Etc.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Crafton Counting Up Martinsville Speedway Records:
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Matt
Crafton has accumulated multiple Martinsville Speedway track records
over his 17-year NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career. He currently
leads the following series categories
at Martinsville Speedway:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Races Run (30)</span></b></li>
<li class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Top 10s (17)</span></b></li>
<li class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Lead Lap Finishes (26)</span></b></li>
<li class="aolmail_MsoNormal" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo5;"><b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Laps Completed (6,665)</span></b></li>
</ul>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Chase Elliott Trucking At Martinsville:
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Chase
Elliott will run this Saturday’s Alpha Energy Solutions 250 for GMS
Racing. This will be Elliott’s second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
start of 2017. He started ninth at
Atlanta in the Active Pest Control 200 and finished fifth. Elliott’s
last win in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series came in 2013 at
Bowmanville.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ty Dillon Returns To NASCAR Camping World Truck Series For First Time Since 2015:</span></i></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ty
Dillon was a late addition to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series
lineup at Martinsville and will run the No. 99 Chevrolet for Ranier
Racing with Mathew Miller in this Saturday’s
Alpha Energy Solutions 250. Ty’s brother Austin ran in the No. 99
Chevrolet at Atlanta and finished seventh.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Ty
last appeared in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Bristol
Motor Speedway in 2015 and finished 23rd. He has 53 NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series career starts with
three wins, 19 top fives and 35 top 10s. </span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Harrison Burton Readies to Make 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Debut at Martinsville:
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">NASCAR
Next alumni (Class of 2016) and K&N Pro Series East driver Harrison
Burton will make his 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut at
Martinsville Speedway this weekend in
the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra. Burton appeared in one
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race last season – the fall race at
Martinsville Speedway. He finished with a top-25 in the No. 18 KBM
Toyota after starting 16th.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-42609221879682424252017-03-29T16:52:00.003-04:002017-03-29T16:52:43.873-04:00Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><u><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series</span></u></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">California Winning: Larson Notches First Win Of Season At Auto Club</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kyle
Larson snapped a streak of three consecutive runner-ups, leading 110
laps and winning Stage 1 on his way to Victory Lane in last Sunday’s
Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway
in Fontana, California.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
No. 42 Chevrolet driver extended his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series
points lead to 29 points over Chase Elliott. Because of his victory and
stage win, Larson now has six
playoff points.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Larson, who also won Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series race, became the 17th driver to sweep a national series weekend.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">The
24-year-old Californian hopes to start a winning streak at Martinsville
Speedway in Sunday’s STP 500 (2 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR
Radio). He owns a high finish
of third there.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bowyer Captures First Top-5 Finish Since 2015</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Clint
Bowyer’s third-place showing marked his first top-five result since he
finished fifth at Bristol on Aug. 22, 2015. It was also Bowyer’s best
finish since his third-place
showing at Sonoma on June 28, 2015.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bowyer
has two top 10s so far this season, only one less than his mark from
last year when he finished a career-low 27th in the final standings.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Right
now, the Kansas native sits eighth in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series points standings, 100 markers below leader Kyle Larson.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">This
is Bowyer’s first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, replacing three-time
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Tony Stewart in the No. 14
Ford.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">“It
means a lot to me to be in this 14,” Bowyer said. “I have a lot of fun
with these guys. Buga (crew chief Mike Bugarewicz) and all these guys
mean business. It’s a confidence
thing right now, a momentum-builder, and we’re getting closer.
Obviously, this is a good track for me. I wanted to win that damn thing,
but to come home with the wild finish and everything that it was, we’ll
take it.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Truex Back Up Top</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Martin
Truex Jr. is showing his breakout in the last two Monster Energy NASCAR
Cup Series seasons was no aberration. The No. 78 Furniture Row Racing
driver, who won a career-high
four races last season, has powered to a strong 2017 start with one
win, two top fives and three top 10s in the first five races.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Truex
leads the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with eight playoff points
and is tied with Kevin Harvick for first in stage wins with three. His
7.4 average finish ranks second-best
to Kyle Larson (3.8). Truex sits third in the points standings, 38
points behind Larson.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><img align="left" height="370" hspace="12" src="https://mail.aol.com/webmail/getPart?uid=623521&partId=3&scope=STANDARD&saveAs=image002.jpg" width="340" /><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Plethora
Of Young Drivers In Playoff Picture</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">We’re
only five races into the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season, but
if it ended today, six drivers under the age of 27 would make the
playoffs: Kyle Larson (24 years
old), Chase Elliott (21), Joey Logano (26), Ryan Blaney (23), Erik
Jones (20) and Trevor Bayne (26).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Blaney,
Jones and Bayne would all be first-time playoff participants. Jones
would join Elliott (2016), Chris Buescher (2016) and Denny Hamlin (2006)
as the fourth Sunoco Rookie
of the Year contender to ever make the playoffs.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Martinsville’s Finest: Jimmie Johnson Leads Active Drivers With 9 Wins At The Paperclip</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Seven-time
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has struggled
in the first five races with only one top-10 finish – a ninth-place
showing at Phoenix.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Luckily
for the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports driver, he’ll get the chance to
turn his season around at arguably his top track – Martinsville
Speedway.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Johnson
leads active drivers with nine wins, 19 top fives, 24 top 10s, a 7.8
average finish and a 117.7 driver rating at “The Paperclip.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">He won the fall Martinsville race last year to clinch his spot in the Championship 4.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Hendrick Motorsports boasts a Martinsville track-record 24 wins.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kyle Busch Attempts To Defend Spring Martinsville Victory</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Kyle
Busch will attempt to visit Victory Lane for the second consecutive
spring at Martinsville in Sunday’s STP 500 at the Southern Virginia
short track. Busch led 352 of 500
laps on his way to his first win of 2016. Overall, he claims one win,
11 top fives and 12 top 10s at Martinsville.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">On
the season, Busch has finishes of 38th (Daytona), 16th (Atlanta), 22nd
(Las Vegas), third (Phoenix) and eighth (Auto Club). He won Stage 1 at
Daytona.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Busch sits 10th in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series points standings, 107 markers below Kyle Larson.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, Etc.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Parity Party: 5 Different Winners Through First 5 Races:
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Five
different drivers have won the first five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series races: Kurt Busch (Daytona), Brad Keselowski (Atlanta), Martin
Truex Jr. (Las Vegas), Ryan Newman (Phoenix),
Kyle Larson (Auto Club).</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
<i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Keselowski Records Fourth Straight Top-Five Finish:
</span></i><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11.0pt;">Lost
in Kyle Larson’s blazing hot start to the season has been the
consistency of 2012 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Brad
Keselowski. The No. 2 Ford driver has strung together
four straight top-five finishes, including a win (Atlanta) and
runner-up (Auto Club).</span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-2384430457554245652017-03-28T17:35:00.001-04:002017-03-28T17:35:20.824-04:00AMS RESURFACING PROJECT PUT ON HOLD<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>AMS RESURFACING PROJECT PUT ON HOLD</strong></span></span></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><img alt="https://us.vocuspr.com/Publish/2464767/vcsPRAsset_2464767_96761_83be3166-9ffe-4847-94cc-b6a33e8a2d1f_0.jpg" height="338" src="https://us.vocuspr.com/Publish/2464767/vcsPRAsset_2464767_96761_83be3166-9ffe-4847-94cc-b6a33e8a2d1f_0.jpg" style="border-style: solid; border-width: 1px;" width="600" /></b></div>
<b>
</b><b><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><strong>HAMPTON, Ga.</strong> (March 28, 2017) – </span></span><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">After
an in-depth review and exhaustive consultations with NASCAR, Goodyear,
race teams and drivers, Atlanta Motor Speedway has elected to postpone
its plan to resurface the 20-year-old 1.54-mile racing surface at least
until after its 2018 NASCAR weekend.</span></span></span></b><br />
<b>
</b><b><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">The
aged, abrasive surface, last paved in 1997 when the track was
reconfigured into its current quad-oval layout, is well-known for
producing slick and challenging racing conditions and causes some of the
fastest tire fall-off of any track on the circuit. AMS is a favorite
among many active drivers in all three of NASCAR’s national touring
series, and a large number of them voiced their preference to delay the
new surface.</span></span></span></b><br />
<b>
</b><b><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">After
originally announcing plans to resurface in January, AMS will continue a
meticulous maintenance program in an effort to maintain the surface and
prevent further deterioration. Additionally, patch work on the current
asphalt will be completed where necessary. Track officials will
reevaluate its condition following the 2018 triple-header NASCAR weekend
and determine then whether to resume the resurfacing plans, which
called for new asphalt to be lain over top the current surface.</span></span></span></b><br />
<b>
</b><b><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">“We
appreciate all of the input we have received from key individuals in
the NASCAR industry, as well as our customers,” said Ed Clark, Atlanta
Motor Speedway president. “The overwhelming majority have urged us to
hold off on paving so that we can enjoy at least one more weekend of
high-speed slipping and sliding in 2018 before the new surface is
installed.”</span></span></span></b><br />
<b>
</b><b><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">Since
it was paved in 1997, the track has hosted 32 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series races, 20 NASCAR XFINITY Series races, 16 NASCAR Camping World
Truck Series races, eight ARCA Racing Series races, four IndyCar Series
races and countless U.S. Legends and Bandolero car races on its
quarter-mile “Thunder Ring.”</span></span></span></b><br />
<b>
</b><b><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">NASCAR
racing returns to Atlanta Motor Speedway in 2018 for its 58th straight
year with adrenaline-pumping action from all three national touring
series. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact the Atlanta
Motor Speedway ticket office at (770) 946-4211, (877) 9-AMS-TIX or
visit <a href="http://www.atlantamotorspeedway.com/" target="_blank">www.atlantamotorspeedway.com</a>.</span></span></span></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-29908019479691058592017-03-27T13:00:00.000-04:002017-03-27T13:00:22.730-04:00Sunday Auto Club Notebook<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Sunday Auto Club Notebook</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Notebook Items:</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Clint Bowyer will save the celebration until he wins</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Boxed in by pit strategy, Truex happy to run fourth</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: .25in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<b><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10.0pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Logano recovers to finish fifth
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">March 26, 2017</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Clint Bowyer will save the celebration until he wins</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FONTANA,
Calif. – Even though he had just posted his best Monster Energy NASCAR
Cup Series finish since 2015, Clint Bowyer didn’t expect effusive praise
from the driver he succeeded
in the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">So
when Bowyer pulled onto pit road at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday after
running third behind race winner Kyle Larson and runner-up Brad
Keselowski in the Auto Club 400, Stewart’s
reaction, as a car owner, was predictably restrained.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Good job,” Stewart said to his driver.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Bowyer hadn’t expected anything more.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Tony
wins a lot of races,” Bowyer elaborated. “He's won a lot of races.
Anything less than a win, you know... he expects that. And I love that
about Tony. “Obviously, I know
he's proud. He was happy with that. But that's what you want in an
owner. You know what I mean? To have that instilled in everything, in
your DNA, I mean, this is the way I was raised.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Anything
else but a win is a bad day. You are miserable with anything less than
that. It's just the way we're wired as a race car driver from five years
old and on. The problem
is, is everybody else on that race track is wired the same way. So
there's really only one guy happy, and everybody else is pissed at the
end of the day. That’s what it boils down to.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
his first season with Stewart-Haas Racing, and back in top-of-the-line
equipment, Bowyer earned his best result since June 2015 at Sonoma,
where he also ran third.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">But to get a bona fide celebration, he knows he’ll have to improve two positions.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">BOXED IN BY PIT STRATEGY, TRUEX HAPPY TO RUN FOURTH</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">When
Corey LaJoie’s brush with the Turn 2 wall brought out the sixth of
seven cautions on Lap 192 of a scheduled 200, Martin Truex Jr. and crew
chief Cole Pearn gambled.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">They
stayed out on old tires for a restart on Lap 196, but only two other
drivers, Denny Hamlin and Jamie McMurray, followed suit. That left race
winner Kyle Larson in the fourth
starting position, and one lap after the resumption of action, he had
the lead.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Truex
considered himself fortunate to hold onto fourth place on old rubber,
after the race went to overtime and extended two laps beyond its posted
distance.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It
was definitely not the situation we wanted to be in, but we thought
more guys would stay out there (under the sixth caution),” said Truex,
who led 73 laps, second only to
Larson’s 110. “I think we only ran a few laps. It was definitely a
disadvantage at the end and just really tight.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Holding
on for fourth was good for points. Overall, it was a good day for
everybody. We just had that one pit stop and I slid a little bit – a
foot or so further than I had
all day. The guys got the air hose caught on the splitter and we lost
six spots or whatever it was (during a stop under caution on Lap 181).
All in all, it was a good day, and we ran up front and led laps. The 42
(Larson) and I felt like we were the class
of the field – he just got it done, and we didn’t.”</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">LOGANO RECOVERS TO FINISH FIFTH</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Joey
Logano didn’t experience the early complications that beset teammate
Brad Keselowski, but the driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford
nevertheless had to overcome late-race
obstacles to pull off a fifth-place finish.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Logano
pitted early on Lap 177, along with Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase
Elliott. Three laps later, an ill-timed caution trapped Logano a lap
down, but he regained the lead
lap with a wave-around for a restart on Lap 185.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">When
caution flew on that same circuit for Matt Kenseth’s hard crash into
the inside backstretch wall, Logano came to pit road for tires and
ultimately drove up to fifth by the
end of the two-lap overtime.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It
was up-and-down, for sure,” said Logano, who started the race 35th
after his car failed to pass inspection in time to make a run in the
first-round of knockout qualifying
on Friday. “Our car was really good on the short runs just like
yesterday (in the NASCAR XFINITY Series race). Our car was good on the
short runs and not good on the long runs. We would lose too much time.
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“We
tried to short-pit them and got caught with the caution and got stuck
down a lap with 20 to go or so. We were able to recover, and at one
point I thought we were going to
win the race and had some trouble on pit road and lost some spots
again. But we were able to make some of them back up and end up with a
top five out of it.</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I guess we need to try to make our car a little bit better on the long run and smooth out some mistakes.”
</span></b></div>
<b>
</b><div class="aolmail_MsoNormal">
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13824682014319009106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5235371156711256604.post-62721344022122532142017-03-27T08:10:00.002-04:002017-03-27T08:10:40.125-04:00After string of seconds, Kyle Larson captures victory in Fontana <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">After string of seconds, Kyle Larson captures victory in Fontana</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">March 26, 2017</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">By Reid Spencer</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">NASCAR Wire Service</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">FONTANA, Calif. – What a difference one position makes.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">After
three straight second-place finishes in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup
Series, polesitter Kyle Larson finally found Victory Lane, pulling away
after an overtime restart
to win Sunday’s Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Larson
took the checkered flag at the end of the second extra lap as team
owner Chip Ganassi celebrated from his perch atop the pit box.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“It’s great to be Kyle Larson right now,” said the 24-year-old driver.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Resilient
Brad Keselowski, whose spin on Lap 3 caused the first caution of the
afternoon—and damaged his No. 2 Team Penske Ford—rolled home in second
place, .779 seconds behind
the driver variously known as “Young Money” and “The California Kid.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Larson,
who led a race-high 110 laps, kept his cool through four cautions and
subsequent restarts over the final 21 laps, giving up the lead to pit
for fresh tires on Lap 193
of a planned 200, as Denny Hamlin, Martin Truex Jr. and Jamie McMurray
stayed on the track.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">But
Larson quickly surged back to the front after a Lap 196 restart,
passing Hamlin for the top spot through Turn 2 a lap later and holding
it through the overtime.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
was staying as calm as I could be, but also frustrated at the same
time,” Larson said of the late-race stops and starts. “It seems like
every time I get to the lead at the
end of one of these things, the caution comes out and I’ve got to fight
people off on restarts. Our Target Chevy was amazing all day. We were
able to lead a lot of laps today. Truex was better than us that second
stage by quite a bit. We were able to get the
jump on him the following restart and led pretty much the rest of the
distance.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“I
had to fight them off there after the green flag stops (before the
final caution), and that was a lot of fun. This is just amazing. We’ve
been so good all year long, three
seconds in a row. I’ve been watching all the TV like ‘He doesn’t know
how to win,’ but we knew how to win today, so that was good.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">In
posting his second career victory (the first coming at two-mile
Michigan last year), Larson completed his first weekend sweep, having
won Saturday’s NASCAR XFINITY Series
event.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Larson extended his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series lead to 29 points over second-place Chase Elliott, who finished 10th.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Clint
Bowyer ran third, posting his best finish since June 2015 at Sonoma,
where he also came home third. Truex, who opened a lead of more than
eight seconds in winning the second
60-lap stage, was fourth, with Joey Logano recovering a lost lap with a
late wave-around to finish fifth.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Keselowski cut a tire during a jam-up at the start of the race, the went for a ride off Jimmie Johnson’s bumper on Lap 3.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">All
things considered—among them a suspension to crew chief Paul Wolfe for
an infraction last week at Phoenix—Keselowski was happy with his
second-place result.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“We
were tore all to hell,” Keselowski said. “Got tore up there really
early in the race. Went all the way to the back, just clawed all the way
up to second… The last few restarts
were obviously key for us. We seemed to get settled into about 10th
there, maybe seventh or eighth.
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">“Then
kind of just executed the last few restarts. Good pit calls and so
forth. Good timing with the yellows. We caught a few breaks, for sure,
and made good adjustments to our
car to make up for the damage. It takes a little bit of everything:
good execution, good work by the team, and a little bit of luck on the
last few yellows.”</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt;">Notes:
With Keselowski having early troubles, Larson is now the only driver
who has scored points in both the first and second stages in each of the
five races this year… Twenty-first
Jimmie Johnson maintained his perfect record at Fontana—but just
barely. After a litany of issues throughout the race, Johnson got back
on the lead lap as the “lucky dog” under the final caution. He has now
finished on the lead lap in all 23 of his starts
at Auto Club, completing all 5,306 laps raced at the speedway during
his career.</span></b></div>
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