Richard Petty Motorsports Hires Veteran Mike Ford as No. 43 Crew Chief

Richard Petty Motorsports asserted its commitment to winning with the hiring of Chase-proven Mike Ford as crew chief for the No. 43 team and driver Aric Almirola.  The veteran crew chief joins the team after leading Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 team to six straight post-season appearances in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.  Ford will join the team immediately and will be atop the pit box in Talladega. 

The 42-year-old Morristown, Tenn., native spent the past six seasons with Joe Gibbs Racing as Hamlin’s crew chief.  In that span, he led his team to 17 wins, 66 top-five finishes and 108 top-10 finishes and never missed a Chase appearance.  The 12-year Sprint Cup veteran also previously held crew chief roles for Dale Jarrett at Robert Yates Racing and Bill Elliott at Evernham Motorsports.

“Mike Ford is an elite crew chief who knows what it takes to be a winner at this level,” said team owner Richard Petty.  “We’re fortunate that he was available and that we could reach a deal to bring him over to our place.  We’ve taken a lot of big steps at Richard Petty Motorsports in the past year and I think this might be that one piece of the puzzle we were missing.”

In eight races with Petty, Almirola has one top-10 and one top-15 finish in the 2012 Sprint Cup season.

“I can’t wait to start working with Mike,” Almirola said.  “Everyone in the garage respects him and knows what he’s capable of.  It’s a goal of the 43 team to make the Chase this year and I think Mike’s experience and knowledge can help get us there.  We’ve got some ground to make up but I think we can do it.”

Ford is also looking forward to join forces with Petty and Almirola.

“Richard Petty Motorsports has proven to be a winning organization with the potential to be a Chase contender,” said Ford.  “Sammy Johns has built a solid foundation from a competition standpoint and I’m looking forward to working with Aric and the rest of the team.”

Ford replaces Greg Erwin, who joined the team in mid-2011.


- Richard Petty Motorsports Press Release

Talladega Superspeedway Weekend Track Event Schedule

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY 2012 

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES 

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES 

ARCA RACING SERIES presented by MENARDS

EVENT SCHEDULE
Wednesday, May 2ND
6:30 AM  ARCA REGISTRATION OPENS
7:00 AM  ARCA HAULERS ENTER
8:00 AM  ARCA GARAGE OPENS
4:00 PM  NNS HAULERS ENTER (TRUCK PARKING ONLY)
6:00 PM  ARCA GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES

Thursday, May 3RD
6:30 AM  ARCA & NNS REGISTRATION OPENS
7:00 AM  ARCA & NNS GARAGE OPENS
8:30 AM TRACK SERVICES MEETING (GARAGE)
8:30 AM  ARCA ROOKIE MEETING
9:00 AM  ARCA DRIVER & SPOTTER MEETINGS & DRAWING FOR QUALIFYING
10:00 AM 1:00 PM ARCA PRACTICE
2:00 PM  NNS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
3:00 PM 3:45 PM NNS PRACTICE
4:00 PM 4:50 PM NNS FINAL PRACTICE
5:00 PM   NNS REGISTRATION CLOSES
5:05 PM  ARCA QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)
6:00 PM  ARCA REGISTRATION CLOSES
7:00 PM NSCS HAULERS ENTER (TRUCK PARKING ONLY)
7:30 PM  ARCA & NNS GARAGE  CLOSES

Friday, May 4TH
6:00 AM NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
6:00 AM  NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
8:00 AM  ARCA GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM TRACK SERVICES MEETING (GARAGE)
10:00 AM 10:55 AM ARCA FINAL PRACTICE
11:10 AM (12:10 PM) NNS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS)
12:00 PM NSCS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
12:30 PM NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT **
1:00 PM 1:45 PM NSCS PRACTICE
1:30 PM 2:30 PM NNS Autograph Session
2:00 PM 2:30 PM TV EXHIBITION RUN
2:00 PM TRACK SERVICES MEETING-PIT ROAD
2:00 PM  ARCA DRIVERS & CREW CHIEFS MEETING
2:30 PM 3:30 PM NSCS FINAL PRACTICE
3:00 PM  NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES
3:00 PM  ARCA REGISTRATION CLOSES
3:30 PM  ARCA DRIVERS INTRODUCTIONS
4:00 PM (5:00 PM) ARCA RACE (94 LAPS, 250.04 MILES)
5:00 PM NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES
6:30 PM NSCS GARAGE CLOSES

Saturday, May 5TH
6:00 AM NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM  NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
9:00 AM 1:00 PM NNS Minors Admitted in the NASCAR Garage Area
9:00 AM  NNS ACCESS TO HAULERS ONLY
9:30 AM TRACK SERVICES MEETING
9:30 AM  NNS SPOTTERS MEETING
10:40 AM NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT **
10:45 AM  NNS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (NASCAR Nationwide Series, GARAGE Area)
11:10 AM (12:10 PM) NSCS QUALIFYING (TWO LAPS, ALL POSITIONS) IMPOUND
12:00 PM TRACK SERVICES MEETING-PIT ROAD
1:45 PM  NNS DRIVER INTRODUCTION-SECURITY CLEAR PIT ROAD
2:00 PM NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION CLOSES
2:15 PM (3:15 PM) NNS RACE (117 LAPS, 311.22 MILES)
2:45 PM  NNS  REGISTRATION CLOSES

Sunday, May 6TH
8:00 AM NSCS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
8:00 AM 11:00 AM NSCS Minors Admitted in the NASCAR Garage Area*
8:00 AM 8:30 AM  NASCAR Pace Car Rides
8:00 AM NSCS SPOTTERS MEETING
8:30 AM 10:00 AM  Talladega Superspeedway Pace Car Rides
8:30 AM TRACK SERVICES MEETING
10:00 AM NSCS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, GARAGE Area)
11:00 AM NSCS ** HOT PASS IN EFFECT ** UNTIL ONE HOUR AFTER RACE
11:30 AM NSCS DRIVERS INTRODUCTION-SECURITY CLEAR PIT ROAD
12:00 PM (1:00 PM) NSCS RACE (188 LAPS, 500.08 MILES)
12:30 PM NSCS REGISTRATION CLOSES
   *With Proper Credentials
(EASTERN TIME)

ALL TIMES ARE LISTED IN LOCAL / CENTRAL TIME ZONE
04/12/12 NSCS  TENTATIVE, SUBJECT TO CHANGE

NASCAR DIRECTV HOTPASS Lineup for the Capital City 400 at Richmond

Ride Along with Hamlin, Johnson, Truex and Earnhardt at Richmond on DIRECTV

Event: Capital City 400
Previous Winner: Kyle Busch (beat Denny Hamlin by 1.805 seconds on April 30, 2011)
Date / Time: Saturday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. EDT
Track: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway
Configuration: .75-mile oval (400 laps = 300 miles)
Banking in Turns: 14 degrees
Banking on Frontstretch: 8 degrees
Banking on Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch: 1,290 feet
Backstretch: 860 feet
First Sprint Cup Series Race: April 19, 1953 – Richmond 200 (Winner – Lee Petty)
Grandstand Seating Capacity: 112,029

NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV is back, and it’s FREE to all DIRECTV customers. Four dedicated driver channels offering viewers multiple camera angles, real-time statistics and audio of the network broadcast augmented by live communication between the drivers and their pit crews are available for all 36 points-paying races during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. 

The NASCAR HOTPASS lineup for the Capital City 400 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway is as follows:  

DIRECTV Channel 795: Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 FedEx Fright Toyota team of Joe Gibbs Racing.

DIRECTV Channel 796: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports.

DIRECTV Channel 797: Martin Truex Jr., and the No. 56 NAPA Brakes Toyota team of Michael Waltrip Racing.

DIRECTV Channel 798: Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the No. 88 National Guard / Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports.


About NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV: 
NASCAR HOTPASS is available free to all DIRECTV customers. More information is available at www.directv.com/hotpass.  


- TrueSpeed Communications Press Release

NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Richmond

Press Conference Schedule, Richmond International Raceway, April 26-28

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. The press conferences will last approximately 15 minutes each and may be viewed at NASCAR.com.

April 26:

1:45 p.m. – Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota) - Media Center

2 p.m. – Kyle Busch (No. 18 M&M’s Brown Toyota) – Media Center

2:45 p.m. – Travis Pastrana (Making NASCAR Nationwide Series debut on Friday) – Media Center

April 27:

8:30 a.m. – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet) – Media Center

10:45 a.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) – Media Center

11 a.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford) – Media Center

11:15 a.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet) – Media Center

11:45 a.m. – NASCAR Nationwide Series Dash for Cash Announcement (Elliott Sadler/Danica Patrick) – Media Center

2:10 p.m. – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing Ford) – Media Center

3:30 p.m. – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet) - #14 hauler

3:40 p.m. – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Brakes Toyota) – Media Center

3:55 p.m. – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/GKAS Ford) – Media Center

4:15 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet) – Media Center

 - NASCAR 

NASCAR Twitter InAnimate Objects Preview- Richmond

 @DebriInTurn4 says he doesn't even remember last Septembers race at Richmond. Well, that's because he never even showed up at the track, slacker! All 15 cautions during last Septembers race were brought out by accidents or spins on track. Now Deb, if you want to get another shout out, you have to show up at Richmond,,at least once, OK!

@TheMini_Jimmie may not be in Richmond this week. MJ recently made a move in to a new card board box house and his wife, the well known Mattel "Barbie", had a honey-do list for Mini that would stretch around Richmond's 0.75 mile oval. Hey, MJ, take a break and get NASCAR Barbie dressed up and to the track!


@TheNascarGarage is not at all happy. Says he's not getting paid overtime by @DennyHamlin for being opened during the Short Track Showdown Thursday night at Richmond. NG says discussions are ongoing and he may have to call in his union rep to settle the dispute. He also says he'll give in if @AmberAngelaCope are brought in just to keep him company. He's a sucker for blondes!


Heard @The_BlackFlag was not a popular guy with the Hendrick gang down in Kansas last weekend. Rumor has it Jeff Gordon told ole Blacky if he ever flew that early again, especially while a Hendrick car was driving faster than Reutimann, Black would be soaked in one of Bobby Labonte's sponsors. I assume he meant Clorox,,or possibly Busch's Beans?


@TheCatchFence is one happy linkster. Fence says when Bruton Smith said he was decreasing the banking and basically lowering the Bristol track away from him by even just a few inches, he broke down and cried tears of joy. He says he'll feel a lot safer now at Bristol, but also adds that Bruton never even consulted him or asked for his opinion. Fence will have a special highly reflective galvanized finish this week that has been applied by his new sponsor, U.S.Wire Cloth LLC.


@TheMiniChad was at the Bristol news conference this week. Mini was over heard saying over and over, "grinding, cutting, lowering,, LEVIGATING, damn, why didn't I think of that with those damn C-pillars."  Then MC was heard talking to Maxi Chad on his cell phone saying, "Well, what the hell does LEVIGATING even mean?"


In a surprising move @TheNASCARHauler has been offered two substantial long term sponsor deals. Not sure why Helton recommended Hauler decline both offers. I guess the sponsor names just didnt fit,,White Castle and The Baby's Room. Hauler's been busy hosting the negotiations concerning overtime for inanimates at Hamlin's Short Track Showdown. C'mon Denny, open up the purse strings, you got all that extra money from race wins.


@FlagofCaution says he's "Ready for some Saturday night short track racing".  Flag has been napping every afternoon to get ready for Richmond, especially after watching tape all week of the record 15 times he had to wave last September. Flag is also sporting his special neon night time yellow color for this weeks race.


 @In_CarCamera is excited to be at Richmond for the night race. Cam has announced he'll be applying a new molybdenum disulfide lubricant to his swivel mount which will allow him to swivel and turn faster than the new Secret Service agents running away from a group of prostitutes. The lube is also impervious to temperature because Cam expects Saturday to be colder than a mother in laws kiss! Brrr, Cam who's your mom in law,,Underwater Camera?


@NASCAR_EFI was being grilled by engine builders after Kansas with all the engine problems. Here's a quote from the interview transcript: "Listen, I'm Nobody, but wait, Nobody's perfect, so I must be perfect. Y'all need to go talk to Comp Cams about their guy, TheValveSpring. By the way, STP Injector Cleaner is a great idea, just not for our guys, we're brand new every week, save your money".


 @The_GreenFlag agrees with Yellow, says let's fly early and often this Saturday at Richmond. GF says he wishes the tracks would announce honorary starters earlier in the week. Says he'd like to pick out a real sexy green if its going to be a hot, young star doing the waving, or even better a nice cute military gal, says he loves women in uniform.


@acheckeredflag has flat out refused to work with Hamlin on Thursday night with out overtime pay. Chex has submitted the union contract from Teamsters Local One and a Half along with @TheOrangeCone, President of Local One and a Half. At one point Chex vehemently asked "What part of the contract don't you understand,sir,,it's all there in black and white"?  Cone quietly pointed out to Chex, "Calm down, that's your shirt hanging out a little".  Everyone chuckled and the dispute was settled.


 @48Horseshoe says he's glad Double J has a brand new chassis at Richmond, likes the "new car smell".  Shoe says it beats the heck out of the scent he's had being up you know where for a while! 

Compiled from Twitter

SMI CHAIRMAN ANNOUNCES REMOVAL OF PROGRESSIVE BANKING

Less than a month after fan feedback convinced him to make changes to the concrete surface at Bristol Motor Speedway, Bruton Smith, Chairman and CEO of Speedway Motorsports, today announced his plans for significant modifications to the track.

“I said when this process began last month that I would listen to what the fans said they wanted,” Smith said. “The fan feedback over the past month, along with input over the past few years, was the impetus for alterations to the track.

“Since March 28, when we announced that changes would be made, we have listened to fans, heard from drivers and talked to engineers about what to do and how much time we had to do it. Once we knew the direction, we located the right equipment to make it happen.”

The changes concentrate on the progressive banking applied when the current track surface was put in place in the summer of 2007.

“The majority of fans we heard from said they wanted adjustments made and the bulk of those said the progressive banking was what they didn’t like,” said Smith in explaining the decision-making process. “So, that’s the focus of our efforts. And that is what we are working to change.”

When the deteriorating BMS track surface was replaced in 2007, variable banking was added. Often referred to as “progressive” because the degrees increase from bottom to top, the layout provided multiple lanes of racing on the famed short track.

Smith said the choice to change the track surface did not come easy, but listening to the race fans always has served him well.

“More and more fans kept asking us to do something to the track,” Smith said. “So I put it out there. They spoke and we listened. I want them to be happy; I want them to love their experience in Bristol. This will accomplish that and I know they will be pleased with the result.”

- Bristol Motor Speedway PR

Richmond Driver Previews

Not all teams announce their weekly race previews'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the information in the teams race preview: 
#1- Jamie McMurray - In 18 starts at Richmond International Raceway, McMurray has led 19 laps, earning three top-10 finishes. He has an average starting and finishing position of 23.5 and 23.7, respectively. McMurray’s best start of second came in the fall of 2011 and his best finish of seventh came in the spring of 2009.


#2- Brad Keselowski - After eight points-paying events, Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team are ranked 15th in the 2012 driver point standings and 16th in the owner point rankings. The team is coming off an 11th-place finish in the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway last Sunday afternoon. 

#5- Kasey Kahne - In 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Richmond  International Raceway, Kasey Kahne has earned one win, three top-five finishes and six top-10s. He won in 2005 after starting from the pole position, his only one at the short track. In this race last year, Kahne started fourth and finished third. He has led 278 laps at the oval during the last seven years, ranking him sixth among active drivers during that time.


#9- Marcos Ambrose - Ambrose has six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond International Raceway. His best finish (fifth) and his best start (13th) came in the 2010 spring event at the .75-mile track. Ambrose has completed 2,396 of 2,400 laps attempted in Cup Series competition at the track,. His average starting position is 15.2 and his average finishing position at Texas is 23.


#10- David Reutimann - Reutimann has 10 Richmond International Raceway starts under his belt. During his NSCS career, he collected one top-10, three top-15s and one pole. He made seven NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Richmond, where he tallied one top-five and two top-10 finishes. He ranks as the third best closer among the field, which is based on positions improved in the last 10 percent of laps in each race. He is also ranked 11th for laps led and 17th for quality passes.


#14- Tony Stewart - The Capital City 400 will mark Stewart’s 473rd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 27th career Sprint Cup start at Richmond International Raceway.  Stewart has three wins, four second-place finishes, nine top-fives, 17 top-10s and has led a total of 817 laps in his 26 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. His average start is 17.1, his average finish is 10.9 and he has a lap completion rate of 98.3 percent.


#15- Clint Bowyer -Bowyer will make his 13th career NSCS start at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night. In 12 previous starts, he has one win and six top-10 finishes. In the spring 2008 race, Bowyer started 31st – his worst starting position ever at Richmond – and raced his way to the win. On average he starts 14th and finishes 11th. Bowyer has led five races for a total of 75 laps. Bowyer has won in both the Sprint Cup (spring 2008) and Nationwide Series (spring 2007).


#16- Greg Biffle - In 19 races at Richmond, Biffle has one pole, two top fives and five top tens with a driver rating of 82.8


#17- Matt Kenseth - In 24 Cup starts at Richmond, Kenseth has completed 9,358 of 9,603 laps (97.4 percent) and led for 223 laps. Kenseth has an average starting position of 21.2 and an average finishing position of 17.2 at Richmond. Kenseth has achieved one win, three top-five, and nine top-10 finishes at Richmond in the Cup series. This weekend at Richmond, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Fusion.


#22- A J Allmendinger - Allmendinger has scored two top-10 finishes in his 10 career races at RIR and both of them came during the last three battles there. Dinger finished eighth in the fall race of 2010 and bounced back to finish seventh (his best finish to date on the track) in last year's spring race. He was close to making it three consecutive top-10s last September, but had to settle with an 11th-place tally.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Along with his two victories (1996 and 2000), the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has five pole positions, 15 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s in 38 starts at the Virginia track. The three-quarter mile layout typically offers side-by-side and sometimes three-wide racing, but having multiple grooves does not necessarily make the short track an easy one to navigate.


#27- Paul Menard - In 10 starts at RIR, Menard has finished each of his contested races and completed 97 percent of his laps (3,801 of 4,010). He has an average starting position of 27.3 and an average finishing position of 28.9 with his best finish of 16th coming in the May 2007 event. Menard posted his best start at the 0.75-mile oval in his September 2010 visit to the Richmond, Va.-based facility when he took the green flag in the seventh position. He has recorded three top-five and five top-10 finishes and led for 160 laps at RIR in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.


#29- Kevin Harvick -  Harvick has competed in 14 Sprint Cup Series races at Richmond International Raceway since the inception of NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics in 2006. The 0.75-mile short track is one of Harvick’s best tracks on the circuit as shown in the following statistics: first in Quality Passes (458), first in Laps in the Top 15 (1,561), second in Laps Led (882) and third in Fastest Laps Run (407). Two wins, six top fives, 14 top 10s; one pole. Average finish of 11.5. Average Running Position of 7.4, second-best Driver Rating of 112.6, third-best.

#31- Jeff Burton - Burton has garnered impressive NASCAR Loop Data statistics at Richmond International Raceway since the inception of NASCAR Loop Data Statistics in 2006. Of all drivers entering the 400-mile event, he has the eighth most green flag passes (674), the 10th most quality passes (334), the 10th best average running position (15.2) and spent 3,489 laps in the top 15, that ranks him eighth amongst his competitors. One win, nine top fives, 15 top 10s; one pole. Average finish of 14.8.


#36- Dave Blaney -  Blaney made 23 starts at Richmond International Raceway in his NSCS career. He scored one top-five, two top-10 and four top-15 finishes in his NSCS career. He tallied his best start of third in the fall race in 2002. He posted his best finish of fourth in the fall event in 2006. Last season, Blaney finished 13th in the spring event and 19th in the fall race while piloting the No. 36 TBR Chevrolet. He ranks as the fourth best closer among the field, which is based on positions improved in the last 10 percent of laps in each race.


#39- Ryan Newman - Newman’s only win at Richmond came in September 2003. In that race, Newman started fourth and led 125 laps en route to victory. Newman won a series-high eight races that season. Newman also has scored five top fives, 12 top 10s; one pole,     Average finish of 11.7, and Average Running Position of 11.0, fifth-best


#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Montoya looks to make his 11th start at Richmond International Raceway this weekend.  In his previous 10 starts Montoya has earned one pole and three top-10 finishes.  He has average starting and finishing positions of 13.4 and 21.5, respectively.  Montoya’s pole came in the spring of 2011 and his highest finish of sixth came in the spring of 2010.


#43- Aric Almirola - Almirola is currently 20th in NASCAR championships points heading into Richmond and will be making his 1st Sprint Cup start there this weekend.


#48- Jimmie Johnson -  Johnson’s Richmond Quick Stats:  Three wins in 20 starts.  Two poles. Five top-five (25 percent) and seven top-10 finishes (35 percent). An average start of 11.6 and an average finish of 17.2. One DNF (did not finish) that occurred in May 2005.


#51- Kurt Busch - Busch has one win, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes and has 348 laps led in 22 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. Busch’s average Richmond finish is 17.4. Busch’s average starting spot at Richmond is 20.2.


#55- Mark Martin - Martin owns a win (Feb. 25, 1990) and 17 top-5 finishes in 52 starts at Richmond. He’s completed 20,054 of 20,653 laps (97.1 %) and led 420 laps. 


#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - In 25 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond International Raceway, Earnhardt has recorded three wins, eight top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. He has led a total of 427 laps and completed 99.1 percent of all laps he's attempted at the short track (9,908 laps of 10,003 total). Among active drivers, Earnhardt is one of five ranked first in wins with three Cup victories at Richmond. Earnhardt most recently went to Victory Lane at Richmond on May 6, 2006, after leading 47 laps.


#99- Carl Edwards - Carl Edwards will make his 16th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Richmond International Raceway this weekend. In eight starts this season he has two top-five, five top-10 finishes and one pole.  He sits ninth in points. Edwards has three top-five and seven top-10 finishes at Richmond. He has led 236 laps and completed 96.3 percent of the laps he has attempted at the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval.  His average starting position at 12.1 and his average finish is 15.1.


- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

Richmond Chassis Selections

Not all teams announce their weekly race chassis'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the chassis in the teams race preview:
#1- Jamie McMurray - Crew Chief Kevin “Bono” Manion and the No. 1 McDonald’s team will bring Chassis #1206 to Richmond International Raceway this weekend.  This chassis first saw track time this year at Phoenix International Raceway, leading one lap before retiring from the race due to an engine failure.


#2- Brad Keselowski - The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-824 during Saturday night’s 400-mile race at Richmond International Raceway (RIR). This is a new chassis to the No. 2 fleet.


#5- Kasey Kahne - For Saturday’s race, crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-663. Kahne started 10th in this car at Phoenix International Raceway in March before an early incident sent him to the garage for repairs. Kahne finished that event 34th. The No. 5 team also raced the car four times in 2011 with driver Mark Martin notably collecting a top-10 finish at Richmond in September.


#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 805 for this weekend’s race at Richmond International Raceway. This Stanley Ford was run previously this season at Phoenix.


#10- David Reutimann - Reutimann will pilot the No. 297 chassis, which he also drove at Phoenix International Raceway and Martinsville Speedway this season. TBR debuted chassis No. 297 with Blaney at Texas Motor Speedway in November 2011. Blaney also piloted the chassis at Homestead-Miami Speedway in the 2011 NSCS Season Finale where he finished 28th. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing during the 2011 season.


#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-710:This is a brand-new racecar that has never turned a wheel on the racetrack, but it has seen numerous hours in the wind tunnel. The Capital City 400 marks Chassis No. 14-710’s on-track debut.


#15- Clint Bowyer - The No. 15 5-hour ENERGY team will race chassis No. 712 at Richmond. Bowyer finished 30th with No. 712 in Phoenix after struggling with multiple cut tires early in the race. Chassis No. 718 will serve as the backup and previously served as backup at Phoenix and Bristol but never raced.


#16- Greg Biffle - Primary: RK-778 Last ran Phoenix – finished third; Backup: RK-759 Last ran Phoenix in ’11 as the No. 6 – finished 33rd.


#17- Matt Kenseth - Primary: RK-802 Last run at Bristol


#22- A J Allmendinger - Allmendinger and crew will be racing their "PRS-808" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend at Richmond. The team raced the car earlier this season at Phoenix. In that race Dinger started 15th and was involved in an early-race incident that tore the entire back deck lid off the car. He was able to salvage an 18th-place finish out of the day. The "PRS-807" is the backup Dodge Charger for the "Double-Deuce" team. It was in the transporter serving as the backup at Phoenix, Bristol and Martinsville, but has never seen any track time to date.


#24- Jeff Gordon - HMS chassis 24-692 - finished third at fall Richmond event and 32nd at fall Phoenix in 2011; eighth at Phoenix in 2012.


#27- Paul Menard - Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 380 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 27 Chevrolet is a brand new addition to the RCR fleet and will log its first laps during Friday’s practice session.


#29- Kevin Harvick - Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No. 365 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This chassis was used by the No. 33 RCR team during the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season, and Harvick most recently drove it to a second-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in March.


#31- Jeff Burton - Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 367 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 31 Chevrolet, built new for the 2012 season, was utilized in February at Phoenix International Raceway where engine issues thwarted Burton’s top-five run and relegated him to a 33rd-place finish.


#36- Dave Blaney - Blaney will drive the No. 293 chassis, which he drove five times during the 2011 season and once this season. The Harford, Ohio native’s best start with the No. 293 chassis was 22nd at New Hampshire last fall and best finish was 23rd this season at Phoenix. TBR purchased the chassis from Richard Childress Racing, where Jeff Burton drove the chassis prior to its debut with TBR.


#39- Ryan Newman - Chassis No. 39-719 will turn its first laps on a racetrack with practice on Friday at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. The new chassis for Newman has been to the wind tunnel in recent weeks and will make its first start this weekend.


#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Crew Chief Chris Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will bring Chassis #1203 to Richmond International Raceway this weekend. This chassis made its debut this year at Phoenix International Raceway, finishing 11th.


#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 Smithfield Ford will be chassis number 804. This is the same chassis the team ran at Phoenix earlier this year.


#48- Jimmie Johnson - Chassis No. 715 is a new chassis and serves as the primary for Johnson at Richmond. Chassis No. 689 serves as the backup.

#51- Kurt Busch - Chassis No. 662:This weekend’s Richmond 400 will be the second race of the 2012 season for this chassis. This is the same car the No. 51 Phoenix Racing team competed with at Phoenix International Raceway in March. Busch started 19th and led two laps en route to a 15th-place finish. This car was built in June 2011 and used by the No. 51 Phoenix Racing team a handful of times last season. Landon Cassill finished 29th at Phoenix in chassis No. 662 in November 2011. The car was also used in events at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon in July and September 2011, scoring 26th - and 30th-place finishes, respectively.


#55- Mark Martin -  Primary 714 - won pole and finished ninth at Phoenix. Backup 715 has not raced in 2012.


#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-709. Earnhardt last raced this chassis to a 14th-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in March.


#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 team will be bringing chassis RK-801 to Richmond this weekend.  This was a brand new chassis at Phoenix in March when Edwards finished 17th after running out of fuel on the final lap.



- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

Richmond International Raceway History and Notes

At Richmond International Raceway:
History

· Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953.
· The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.
· The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.
· The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.
· The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.
· The track was re-measured to .542-mile for 1970.
· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.
· The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.
· The first season with both races as night races was 1999.

Notebook· There have been 111 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953.
· The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.
· Buck Baker won the pole in 1953.
· Lee Petty won the first race in April 1953.
· There have been 50 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).
· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with five poles.
· 47 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).
· Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Terry Labonte and Jimmie Johnson (three) lead active race winners.
· Petty Enterprises has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other team.
· 63 of 111 races have been won from the top five starting positions, including 22 from the pole.
· The last driver to win from the pole was Kyle Busch in 2010.
· The furthest back in the field a race winner has started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the 2008 spring race.
· Kyle Busch (5.0) and Denny Hamlin (7.5) are the only active drivers with an average finish in the top 10.
· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond International Raceway winner: Richard Petty (04/23/1961 – 23 years, 9 months, 21 days).
· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond International Raceway winner: Harry Gant (09/07/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 28 days).
· Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race at Richmond, on Feb. 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee Petty won the very first Richmond race in 1953.
· Three of the last four races have had a margin of victory less than one second.

Richmond International Raceway Data
Race #: 9 of 36 (04-28-12)
Track Size: .75 miles
Race Length: 300 miles
· Banking/corners: 14 degrees
· Banking/straights: 8 degrees
· Frontstretch: 1,290 feet
· Backstretch: 860 feet

- NASCAR

GOODYEAR Tire Notes- Kansas

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series -- Race No. 8 – STP 400 (Sunday, April 22 -- 1:00 p.m. ET -- TV: Fox) Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile oval) – Kansas City, Kan.
Fast Facts for April 20-22, 2012

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials (Sprint Cup)
Number of Tires: Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,300; Right-side -- 1,300
Set limits: Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 10 sets for the race.
Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4382; Right-side -- D-4408
Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.2 in. (2,215 mm); Right-side -- 88.4 in. (2,245 mm)
Technical Inspection Inflation: Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi; Right Front -- 48 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front -- 22 psi; Left Rear -- 20 psi;  Right Front -- 47 psi; Right Rear -- 43 psi 

Notes: Teams in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will run the same combination of left and right-side tires they ran twice at Kansas last season.  More recently, these teams ran this right-side tire code (D-4408) at Fontana earlier this season. While Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck teams will run the same right-side code at Kansas this weekend, they will run distinct left-side codes. As on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Kansas. Air pressure in the inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire. 


- Goodyear Racing Press Release

NASCAR HotPass on DIRECTV Lineup for Kansas

Ride Along with Keselowski, Stewart, Johnson and Earnhardt at Kansas on DIRECTV

Event: STP 400
Previous Winner: Brad Keselowski (beat Dale Earnhardt Jr., by 2.813 seconds on June 5, 2011)
Date / Time: Sunday, April 22, at 1 p.m. EDT
Track: Kansas Speedway in Kansas City
Configuration: 1.5-mile oval (267 laps = 400.5 miles)
Banking in Turns: 15 degrees
Banking on Frontstretch: 10.4 degrees
Banking on Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch: 2,685 feet
Backstretch: 2,207 feet
First Sprint Cup Series Race: Sept. 30, 2001 – Protection One 400 (Winner – Jeff Gordon)
Grandstand Seating Capacity: 81,687



NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV is back, and it’s FREE to all DIRECTV customers. Four dedicated driver channels offering viewers multiple camera angles, real-time statistics and audio of the network broadcast augmented by live communication between the drivers and their pit crews are available for all 36 points-paying races during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. 


The NASCAR HOTPASS lineup for the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway is as follows:

DIRECTV Channel 795: Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge team of Penske Racing.

DIRECTV Channel 796: Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot / Mobil 1Chevrolet team of Stewart-Haas Racing.

DIRECTV Channel 797: Jimmie Johnson and the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports.

DIRECTV Channel 798: Dale Earnhardt Jr., and the No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew / National Guard Chevrolet team of Hendrick Motorsports.

About NASCAR HOTPASS on DIRECTV: 
NASCAR HOTPASS is available free to all DIRECTV customers. More information is available at www.directv.com/hotpass.  


- TrueSpeed Communications Press Release