NASCAR This Week on ESPN

NASCAR Nationwide Series Goes Road Racing
The NASCAR Nationwide Series goes road course racing this weekend at the 4-mile Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wis., and ESPN will have a live telecast of the race on Saturday, June 22, at 5 p.m. ET. The race’s green flag is at 5:22 p.m. Also from Road America, ESPN2 will air qualifying Saturday at noon. All NASCAR programming on ESPN networks is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app.
Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick; analysts Rusty Wallace, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch, Shannon Spake

NASCAR Now Schedule
ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma, Calif., in the one-hour edition airing Sunday, June 23, at 11 a.m. ET. Host Nicole Briscoe will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven with reporters Marty Smith and Jim Noble at the track. All NASCAR programming on ESPN networks is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. The week’s schedule:

Date  Time                    Show                Host            Network
Tue., June 18 1:30 a.m.  NASCAR Now  Nicole Briscoe  ESPN2

Wed., June 19 1:30 a.m. NASCAR Now  Nicole Briscoe  ESPN2

Thurs., June 20 1 a.m.    NASCAR Now  Nicole Briscoe  ESPN2

Fri., June 21 1:30 a.m.    NASCAR Now  Nicole Briscoe  ESPN2

Sun., June 23 11 a.m.      NASCAR Now  Nicole Briscoe  ESPN2

Sonoma Raceway History and Notes

At Sonoma Raceway:
History
· The track opened as a 2.52-mile road course and drag strip in 1968.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 11, 1989 – won by Ricky Rudd at a speed of 76.088 mph.
· The first nine races were 300 kilometers and switched to a 350k format in 1998.
· The track was reconfigured to 1.949 miles in 1998 with the installation of an 890-foot chute between the original Turns 4 and 7.
· The track was reconfigured to 2.0 miles in 2001 and re-measured at 1.99 miles in 2002.

Sonoma Raceway Data
Season Race #: 16 of 36 (06-23-13)Track Size: 1.99-miles
Number of Turns: 12
Race Length: 110 laps / 219 miles / 350 Kilometers

Notebook· 
 There have been 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma Raceway since the first race there in 1989 – one race per season.
· 184 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Sonoma Raceway; 131 in more than one.
· Mark Martin and Terry Labonte lead the series in starts at Sonoma with 21 each; followed by Bobby Labonte and Jeff Gordon with 20 each.
· Rusty Wallace won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Sonoma in 1989 with a speed of 90.041 mph.
· 15 drivers have Coors Light poles at Sonoma, led by Jeff Gordon with five.
· Two drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Sonoma Ricky Rudd and Jeff Gordon. Ricky Rudd holds the record for most consecutive poles at Sonoma with three; fall 1990 through 1992.
· Jeff Gordon is the only active driver to have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Sonoma: 1998-‘99 and 2004-’05.
· Youngest Sonoma pole winner: Joey Logano (6/26/2011 – 21 years, 1 month, 2 days).
· Oldest Sonoma pole winner: Rusty Wallace (6/25/2000 – 43 years, 10 months, 11 days).
· 16 different NSCS drivers have won at Sonoma Raceway, led by Jeff Gordon with five wins. Tony Stewart has the second most wins (two) among active drivers at Sonoma.
· Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in road course wins with nine (Sonoma, five; Watkins Glen, four); Tony Stewart has the second most road course wins all-time with seven (Watkins Glen, five; Sonoma, two).
· NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison holds the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record for the most wins (six) at a single road course track - Riverside International Raceway.
· Jeff Gordon is the only driver to post consecutive wins (three total) at Sonoma Raceway (1988 and 1989 each from the pole and 2000 from the fifth starting position).
· Youngest Sonoma winner: Kyle Busch (6/22/2008 – 23 years, 1 month, 20 days).
· Oldest Sonoma winner: Ricky Rudd (6/23/2002 – 45 years, 9 months, 11 days).
· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Sonoma in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with six: Jeff Gordon (five) and Jimmie Johnson (one).
· Six different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Sonoma; led by Chevrolet with 10 victories; followed by Ford with six.
· Five of the 24 (20.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Jeff Gordon in 2004. Gordon is the only NSCS driver to win from the pole at Sonoma more than once.
· The Coors Light pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more wins (five) than any other starting position at Sonoma Raceway.
· Eight of the 24 (33.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from the front row: five from the pole and three from second place.
· 18 of the 24 (75.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Two of the 24 (8.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Michigan was 32nd, by Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007.
· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Sonoma with four; followed by Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart with three each.
· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-five finishes at Sonoma with 12; followed by Ricky Rudd with 10.
· Jeff Gordon leads the series in top-10 finishes at Sonoma with 16; followed by Mark Martin with 13.
· Marcos Ambrose leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Sonoma with a 5.000.
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Sonoma with an 8.550. Clint Bowyer (9.714) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.
· All but one of the nine active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Sonoma Raceway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Juan Pablo Montoya won at Sonoma in his rookie season and his first appearance at the 1.99-mile track, the fewest previous starts among the active NSCS winners.
· Jimmie Johnson and Mark Martin competed at Sonoma Raceway eight times each before visiting Victory in Lane; the longest span of any the nine active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners. Johnson won in 2010 and Martin won in 1997.
· Terry Labonte leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Sonoma without visiting Victory Lane at 21.
· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway was the June 27, 1999 race won by Jeff Gordon over Mark Martin with a MOV of 0.197 second.
· There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup races resulting in a green-white-checkered finish at Sonoma Raceway (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2008 (110/112); 2009 (110/113) and 2012 (110/112).
· None of the 24 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Sonoma Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions.
· Qualifying has never been cancelled in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma Raceway.
· Boris Said posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Sonoma Raceway (6/22/2003).
· Juan Pablo Montoya posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Sonoma Raceway (6/24/2007).
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Sonoma with 450 laps led in 20 starts.
· Danica Patrick will attempt to become the first female driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to compete at Sonoma Raceway.
· Patty Moise is the only female driver to compete in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on a road course.

Top 12 Driver Rating at Sonoma
Kurt Busch................................ 107.8Tony Stewart............................. 107.5
Marcos Ambrose....................... 106.8
Jeff Gordon.............................. 101.1
Juan Pablo Montoya................... 97.8
Jimmie Johnson.......................... 96.6
Clint Bowyer............................... 93.3
Kyle Busch................................. 92.8
Ryan Newman............................. 89.9
Carl Edwards.............................. 84.9
Elliott Sadler............................... 84.9
Jamie McMurray.......................... 84.4
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (eight total) among active drivers at Sonoma Raceway.

Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner: Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 95.262 mph, 75.203 secs. 6-22-122012 race winner: Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 83.624 mph, (02:39:55), 6-24-12

Track qualifying record: Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 95.262 mph, 75.203 secs. 6-22-12
Track race record: Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 83.624 mph, (02:39:55), 6-24-12

Greg Biffle Gives Ford Motor Company 1,000th NASCAR Victory

Ford Motor Company has won 1,000 NASCAR races in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series combined. Jim Roper won the very first NASCAR-sanctioned stock car race in a Lincoln when he was deemed the winner at Charlotte on June 19, 1949. Ford Motor Company has won 20 manufacturer titles and 13 driver championships in NASCAR’s top three series.

Jim Roper won the very first NASCAR-sanctioned Sprint Cup Series race in a Lincoln on June 19, 1949 in Charlotte, NC. That was the first of Lincoln’s four all-time victories in the series with the others coming from Jack White, Harold Kite and incoming NASCAR Hall of Famer Tim Flock.
Mercury had 96 wins from 1950-80 in NASCAR’s top series as David Pearson and the Wood Brothers teamed up to win 43 times, including the 1976 Daytona 500 which is still considered one of the most dramatic finishes in the sport’s history.

The Ford brand recorded its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in 1950 when “Shirtless” Jimmy Florian scored an upset victory at Dayton (OH) Speedway, beating the likes of Lee Petty, Curtis Turner and Joe Weatherly. More than 60 years later, Trevor Bayne duplicated that unlikely win by capturing the 2011 Daytona 500 in only his second start to give Ford its 600th series triumph.

In addition to 1,000 race wins, Ford has celebrated 20 manufacturer’s titles and 13 driver’s championships in NASCAR’s top three series while also seeing 19 of the first 25 inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame have significant Ford Racing backgrounds.

While drivers such as David Pearson, Ned Jarrett, Bill Elliott, Mark Martin and Dale Jarrett appear among Ford’s all-time leading winners, their success wouldn’t have been possible without a strong organization behind them.

From a Ford perspective, there has been no more successful operation than the one put together by Jack Roush, who has amassed 313 NASCAR victories in 25 years of competition. Now known as Roush Fenway Racing, the team boasts 131 wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and holds the record for most wins in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (132) and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (50).

Wood Brothers Racing has been aligned with Ford Motor Company since its inception in 1950 and ranks seventh on the all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win list with 98. Founder Glen Wood was the team’s first driver and won four races before taking control behind the scenes and teaming with his brother, Leonard, to form one of the most potent combinations in the sport’s history. Both men are members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and are credited with being the ones who revolutionized the modern-day pit stop.

Other NASCAR Hall of Fame car owners such as Bud Moore (43 wins) and Junior Johnson (38) combined to win more than 80 races in Ford products while the legendary Ford factory-backed team of Holman-Moody won 92 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races and back-to-back championships with David Pearson behind the wheel. Roger Penske, who celebrated his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship last year with driver Brad Keselowski, has 31 Ford wins in his stock car career (27 NSCS, 4 NNS), including three Nationwide wins this season by three different drivers – Sam Hornish Jr., Joey Logano and Keselowski.

Overall, 124 different drivers have won at least one race for Ford Motor Company in NASCAR’s top three divisions, including superstar figures such as Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon.

Ford Motor Company Wins By Series (1,000):
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: 715 -- Ford (615), Mercury (96), Lincoln (4)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: 200 -- Ford (200)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: 85 -- Ford (85)

All-Time Ford Motor Company Top-Five Winning Drivers (All Series Combined)
1. Mark Martin 89 (35 NSCS-47 NNS-7 NCWTS)
2. David Pearson 73 (73 NSCS)
3. Carl Edwards 64 (20 NSCS-38 NNS-6 NCWTS)
4. Greg Biffle 53 (19 NSCS-18 NNS- 16 NCWTS)
5. Ned Jarrett 43 (43 NSCS)

All-Time Ford Motor Company Top-Five Winning Owners (All Series Combined)
1. Jack Roush 313 (131 NSCS, 132 NNS, 50 NCWTS)
2. Wood Brothers 98 (98 NSCS)
3. Holman-Moody 92 (92 NSCS)
4. Robert Yates 58 (57 NSCS, 1 NNS)
5. Bud Moore 43 (43 NSCS)

All-Time Ford Motor Company Driver Championships (13):
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Ned Jarrett (1965); David Pearson (1968-69); Bill Elliott (1988); Alan Kulwicki (1992); Dale Jarrett (1999); Matt Kenseth (2003); Kurt Busch (2004)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Greg Biffle (2002); Carl Edwards (2007); Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2011-12)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Greg Biffle (2000)

Manufacturers Championship Seasons (20):
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: 1956, 1957, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1992, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, ‘02
NASCAR Nationwide Series: 1995, 2002, 2011
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: 1999, 2000

 - Stan Creekmore/RPM2Night Stats

Charlie Dean Leffler Charity Fund Established; Services for Jason Leffler Announced

In honor of NASCAR driver Jason Leffler, who lost his life in a racing accident this week, a trust fund has been established for his five-year-old son, Charlie Dean. This trust will serve as the official Leffler Family fund, with all monies going directly to Charlie’s needs. Turner Scott Motorsports co-owner Harry Scott Jr., former Braun Racing owner Todd Braun and Steve Overholser, CFO of Great Clips, will serve as trustees.

Donations can be made to The Charlie Dean Leffler Discretionary Trust at:
The Charlie Dean Leffler Discretionary Trust
c/o SunTrust Bank
232 Williamson Road
Mooresville, NC 28117

A celebration of Jason Leffler’s life will be held on Wednesday, June 19. The service will be at Grace Covenant Church, located at 17301 Statesville Road in Cornelius, N.C. at 1:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to The Charlie Dean Leffler Discretionary Trust.

Spire Sports Entertainment Press Release

Manufacturer’s Trophy Will Recognize Winning Auto Maker at Michigan

Michigan International Speedway, the home track of auto manufacturers since 1968, announced today the creation of a Manufacturer’s Trophy, an ode to the spirit of the automobile and its importance to the racetrack.

Inspired by the Stanley Cup, the award will recognize the winning manufacturer – Ford, Toyota or Chevrolet – after each NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at MIS.

“MIS is important. It’s important to all the manufacturers,” track president Roger Curtis said. “Whether you're headquartered here or not, Toyota has a huge presence in this state with the Tech Center and employs a lot of people there. I thought it was very important that we do something to formally recognize almost in a rivalry standpoint the significance of MIS on the schedule for these guys.”

Each manufacturer and MIS also will donate $10,000 that will be given to a youth-related, STEM-related charity in Michigan.

The trophy was designed by Fortress Studios artists Steven Kuypers and Steven McShane, both graduates of Detroit’s College for Creative Studies.   

The trophy will be more than three feet tall, weigh about 50 pounds and feature sculpture similar to Greek goddess of victory Nike, also inspiration for classic cars hood ornaments from Cadillac, Rolls-Royce and Packard. The original bronze artwork will sit atop a base similar to architecture of Detroit landmarks such as the Fisher Building and Guardian Building.

Curtis compared the trophy with the tradition-steeped Big Ten football rivalries that have produced such iconic prizes as the Old Oaken Bucket, Indiana vs. Purdue, and the Paul Bunyan Trophy, Michigan vs. Michigan State.

The track annually recognizes NASCAR’s manufacturers, asking fans in the grandstands to cheer on their favorite during a fun poll conducted over the PA during pre-race ceremonies.

The Manufacturer’s Trophy will be presented after every NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Michigan in June and August, starting with the Pure Michigan 400 on Aug. 18.

The trophy is expected to renew a fun “rivalry” between the automakers.

Ford Racing’s Jamie Allison understands the importance of having MIS in Detroit’s backyard and looks forward to the “rivalry.” He said it makes the three automakers want to bring their absolute stuff to the Brooklyn track.

“I mean, this is a date that we all circle on our calendars beginning of every season,” Allison said. “Every racetrack is important. Every win is magnificent. Obviously, here you talk about backyards, our hometown.  We circle the date.  We want to show up and compete and win in front of our friends, our neighbors, our employees, the entire network of people who support our company, whether it's executives, fans, you name it. It's an extra level of pride that comes with being here in your hometown.”

The trophy is unnamed. And Curtis has asked media to Tweet him name ideas at @MISRoger.

- Michigan International Speedway News

Keselowski Points Finger at Hendrick and Gibbs

Brad Keselowski blames Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick Motorsports for a “nasty little habit’’ that is keeping Ford teams from sharing as much information as possible, according to the Detroit Free Pass. Car owner Rick Hendrick said Friday that Keselowski needs to get his facts straight.

“There are little things you can do,” Keselowski told the Detroit Free Press on Thursday about Ford teams sharing information. “What keeps it from going too far is the fact that Hendrick and Gibbs have this nasty little habit of going to other teams and outbidding other people and taking those employees and stealing our information. 

“When that happens, that puts walls up between the camps because you are giving up more than one piece of information — you are giving up two companies’ information and trying to protect yourself against that. It forces you to put up walls.

“It doesn’t necessarily lend itself to working together. But still, we are going to put in a valiant effort where we can and where it makes sense to put Ford in a position to have the best results possible.’’

Hendrick countered Keselowski's comments with a statement Friday.

"Roger Penske and I are great friends and have raced together for years,'' Hendrick said. "We’ve always competed with the utmost respect, and I have immense admiration for his organization. You won’t find anyone at Hendrick Motorsports who feels differently.

“The comments Brad reportedly made were misinformed. The truth is that we hired one tire changer, who was a backup for Penske and whose contract was up. We also brought over one mechanic from their Nationwide program and, when the Penske engine shop was closing, added a few of those people. What Brad left out was that his organization also hired one of our tire changers.

“All of this was aboveboard and is part of doing business in a competitive environment. I take no issue with any of it, and I expect Roger would say the same.

"Brad misrepresents the facts and spends a lot of time making insinuations and accusations about other teams when he should be focused on his own program and competing at a high level. I hope he figures that out and begins representing himself and the sport with more class.”

Roush Fenway Racing’s Greg Biffle admitted Friday at Michigan International Speedway that losing key people to other teams “does get aggravating when everything you’ve worked hard for and have developed goes away.’’

Keselowski cited two cases of where he said Hendrick and Gibbs swayed Ford team employees with big offers.

“Gibbs stole the Roush aero director and took all the information,” Keselowski said. “And Hendricks took three employees from our Chase-winning team last year.”

Biffle said that Roush’s aero director went to Gibbs more than a year ago.

Biffle also knows it’s difficult to keep secrets long in the Cup garage.

“It’s so hard because these guys are neighbors or these guys are buddies,’’ Biffle said. “They’re fishing together and, unfortunately, information gets slipped between teams a lot of times. We know that is part of this sport. 

“We’re pitted next to each other in the garage. It seems like everybody has spy photographers that are around taking pictures of everything. It’s hard to stay in front of the competition quite honestly. We were the ones that pioneered the skewed axle housing and we had that for a total of about five weeks in our arsenal before we were competing against it. That’s not enough time to perfect something and gain an advantage from it. It’s hard to come up with creative things in this sport that fit the rules today. That was one thing that we came up with that we lost very quickly and that is a problem.”

“It is terrible,” said Keselowski. “There’s a reason those two teams are higher up on the boards than us — they have more money and sponsors to do so; it’s almost like Major League Baseball in that sense,’’ Keselowski told the Detroit Free Press. “The Yankees and Red Sox are always going to outbid the Oakland Athletics. That’s just part of the deal. So, you find yourself trying to play money ball to beat them.” 

via Motor Racing Network

NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan

Press Conference Schedule, Michigan

NASCAR schedules driver press conferences at every race weekend event. These normally include the Top 12 drivers in championship points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, along with other drivers of note. NOTE: The press conferences in the media center will last approximately 15 minutes each and may be viewed at NASCAR.com. Times listed are local time.

Friday, June 14:

10 a.m. – Regan Smith (No. 7 TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series), points leader & Trevor Bayne (No. 6 Roush Clean Tech Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series), last week’s race winner – Media Center

                                                                                                       

10:15 a.m. – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Give Kids a Smile Ford), 10^th in points (395) and three-time winner at Michigan - #16 hauler(team availability)

10:30 a.m. – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford), 9^th in points (398), defending series champion – Media Center

10:30 a.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 49 Lowe’s Chevrolet), 1^st in points (521)/3 wins and last week’s race winner - #48 hauler (team availability)

10:45 a.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard "Man of Steel" Chevrolet), 4^th in points (439), defending race winner – Media Center

1 p.m. – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet), 13^th in points (378)/1 win - #14 hauler (team availability)

1:30 p.m. – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota). 3^rd in points (452) – Media Center

1:45 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet), 11^th in points (393) – Media Center (team availability)

2 p.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet) - #10 hauler (team availability)

Approx. 4:45 pm – Post NSCS Qualifying

Saturday, June 15
Approx. 4:00 pm – Post NNS Race

Sunday, June 16

Approx. 3:30 pm – Post NSCS Race