New Look For “Sixth Generation” 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Car

NASCAR today unveiled a new look for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car, an integral and exciting step in the rollout process of the sixth generation race car.

“These changes are an extension of the unprecedented collaboration with the auto manufacturers on the 2013 car, great industry feedback and our focus on increasing fan affinity as part of NASCAR’s Industry Action Plan,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations, who introduced the new design at Homestead-Miami Speedway today.

The sixth-generation car look will debut with the opening of the 2013 Speed weeks, highlighted by the 55th running of the Daytona 500 on February 24 at Daytona International Speedway. 

Among the updates:
The driver’s last name featured on the windshield;

Sponsor decals will not be permitted on the headlights and taillights, two key distinguishing characteristics of the auto manufacturers’ brand;

Car numbers will be moved from the lights to the front and rear bumpers;

A single sponsor logo will be permitted on the roof under the number;

Team sponsor decals will be permitted to extend past the front edge of the b-post;

“Step and repeat” / background patterns will be permitted on the sides of the car;

Due to the slightly smaller car, the car number will be reduced by 10% and the contingency decals will be reduced to 26 square inches.

- NASCAR Press Release

Phoenix Driver Statistics

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 - McMurray has made 18 starts at Phoenix International Raceway. In those 18 starts, the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet has accumulated one top-five, two top-10 finishes. McMurray has completed 5,294 out of a possible 5,686 laps (93%) with a total of 29 laps led. He has an average start and finish position of 16.2 and 21.8, respectively. His best start at the mile oval was second in 2008.

#5- Kasey Kahne -  In 16 Cup starts at Phoenix, Kahne has one win, two top-five finishes and five top-10s. He has qualified inside the top 10 during the last three races at the one-mile Avondale, Ariz., oval.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - Ambrose will make his ninth career start at Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. His best start (third) and his best finish (eighth) came in the 2011 fall race. Ambrose sits in 18th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings heading into Sunday’s 312-lap event.

#14-Tony Stewart - Stewart has one win, eight top-fives, 11 top-10s and has led a total of 555 laps in his 21 career Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix. Stewart has only six finishes outside the top-15. His average start is 13.5, his average finish is 11.8 and he has a lap completion rate of 99.8.

#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer has made 14 previous starts at Phoenix, scoring 2 top fives and 5 top tens. Bowyers best finish at the track was 2nd in April of 2008.

#16- Greg Biffle - Biffle has an average starting position of 13.9 and an average finish of 14.1 at Phoenix. He has earned % top fives and 6 top tens in 17 previous races at Phoenix.

#17- Matt Kenseth -  Kenseth has an average starting position of 20.6 and an average finishing position of 17.8 at Phoenix. In 20 starts, Kenseth has achieved one win, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes, and one pole at Phoenix in the Sprint Cup series.

#18- Kyle Busch - Busch has two top-five finishes and nine top-10s and has led a total of 272 laps in his 15 career Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix. His average Phoenix finish is 14.0.

#22- Sam Hornish Jr. - Hornish will be competing on both Saturday's Great Clips 200 Nationwide Series race and Sunday's AdvoCare 500 Sprint Cup Series race this weekend at PIR. Entering this weekend, he has made 17 overall Phoenix starts in the three series. In six IndyCar races, Hornish won twice and had three podium finishes. In his four Nationwide races, he has the big win and the sixth-place finish as highlights. In seven Cup starts, a ninth-place finish in the spring race of 2009 is his best result.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon has 27 previous racea at Phoenix and has earned 3 poles, 2 wins, 10 top 5's, 19 top 10s and an average finish of 10.778. Gordon's most recent win came in February of 2011.

#27- Paul Menard - In his 11 previous starts at the one-mile raceway, Menard completed 99.3 percent of his laps (3,476 of 3,499). He owns an average starting position of 19.8 and an average finishing position of 23.7, with his best finish of ninth coming in the November 2011 event. His best start at the Avondale, Ariz. track came in April 2009 when the Eau Claire, Wis., native took the green flag in the seventh position

#29- Kevin Harvick - Harvick will make his429th career Sprint Cup Series start and 20th appearance at the one-mile track. The 36-year-old driver swept both events in 2006 and has accumulated five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in his past performances. Harvick maintains a 19.1 average starting position coupled with a 13.5 average finishing position, has completed 99.6 percent (5,976 of 5,998) of the laps contested and is credited with 405 laps led.

#31- Jeff Burton -  Sunday’s event marks Burton’s 27th start at the “The Desert Jewel” and 654th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. He has amassed two wins, seven top-five and 13 top-10 finishes and led 222 laps at the one-mile oval.

#39- Ryan Newman - Newman has four poles, one win (April 2010), seven top-five finishes and seven top-10s in 20 starts at the one mile oval.  

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya -  Montoya looks to make his 12th start this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. In his previous 11 starts he has led 104 laps and earned one top-five, and two top-10 finishes. Montoya has completed 3,492 out of a possible 3,499 (99%). His best start was fifth previously this year; and he earned his best finish of fifth in 2010. The driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet has an average starting position of 20.3 and an average finishing position of 16.5 at Phoenix International Raceway.

#43- Aric Almirola - Phoenix International Raceway is a good place to continue the run. Almirola earned a 12th-place finish at the Avondale, Ariz., track earlier this season in just his second race in the No. 43 Ford. It’s his best finish among his three Cup Series starts at PIR. He also started from the pole in one of his five Nationwide Series races at the one-mile oval.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Phoenix Cup Race Notes of Interest: Four wins (November 2007, 2008, 2009 and April 2008). One pole (November 2008). 12 top-five finishes (66.7 percent) and 15 top-10s (83.3 percent) in 18 starts. Has finished every race at Phoenix. Average start of 12.4 and average finish of 5.3. Completed 5,685 of 5,686 laps (99.9 percent) and led 931. Sprint Cup’s best driver rating (118.4 average of a possible 150 points). Sprint Cup’s best in fastest laps run with 506.

#55- Mark Martin -  In 31 Sprint Cup starts Martin owns two victories (1993 & 2009) and 12 top-five finishes. He’s led 834 laps. He won the pole and finished ninth in March.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - In 20 Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix International Raceway, Earnhardt has earned two wins, four top-five finishes and eight top-10s. He also has led 460 laps there. He earned his two wins there back-to-back, going to Victory Lane in November 2003 and November 2004 when Phoenix hosted one Cup event a season.

#99- Carl Edwards -  In 16 starts at the one-mile track, Edwards has one win, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes. His average start is 11.7 and average finish is 12.6.  Edwards has completed 94.3 percent of laps in Cup competition attempted at Phoenix.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

Phoenix 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 Bass Pro Shops/Allstate team will bring Chassis #1222 to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. This chassis has raced only once previously, just two weeks ago at Martinsville Speedway, finishing 17th.

#2- Brad Keselowski - The No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-833 during Sunday’s AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix International Raceway (PIR). This is a brand-new chassis to the No. 2 fleet.

#5- Kasey Kahne - For the Nov. 11 race at Phoenix, crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-744. This is a brand new race car.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 805 for this weekend’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. This Black & Decker Ford was run previously this season at Phoenix, Richmond, Pocono and Indianapolis.

#14-Tony Stewart -  Chassis No. 14-742 first turned its wheels on a racetrack during a test session Sept. 4-5 at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis., which prepared Chassis No. 14-742 for its debut in the Sept. 23 race at New Hampshire. There, the car qualified third and led 38 laps before finishing seventh. Chassis No. 14-742 returns to another relatively flat, 1-mile oval with this weekend's AdvoCare 500k at Phoenix International Raceway.

#15- Clint Bowyer - Primary chassis No. 718 is the race winning car from Sept. 8 event at Richmond and also finished fourth in the Chase opener at Loudon. Backup chassis No. 712 finished 30th at the first Phoenix race after cutting several tires early in the race. It also raced to a seventh place finish at Richmond in the spring.

#16- Greg Biffle -   Primary: RK-778   Last ran New Hampshire – finished 9th; Backup: RK-777    Last ran Pocono – finished 24th. Chassis RK-778 is the same car that Biffle drove to a third-place finish in the spring at Phoenix.

#17- Matt Kenseth - This weekend at Phoenix, Kenseth will pilot the No. 17 Ford EcoBoost Fusion. Primary chassis RK-808, last ran at Atlanta.

#22- Sam Hornish Jr. - Hornish and the Penske Racing No. 22 Team will be utilizing the "PRS-822" Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger in this weekend's AdvoCare 500 at PIR. This is the chassis that the No. 2 penske team raced in the April 22 race at Kansas Speedway where Brad Keselowski started 11th and finished 11th. The "PRS-807" chassis will serve as the backup. It was the No. 22 team's backup for last month's Martinsville race and has yet to be raced.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon will race HMS chassis #24-750 this week at Phoenix. The car finished third at the fall New Hampshire race in 2012.

#27- Paul Menard -  Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 380 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend’s AdvoCare 500. This Chevrolet was last raced at Richmond International Raceway in September where Menard drove it to a 23rd-place finish. This chassis was also utilized at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July where Menard earned a 14th-place finish after starting from the eighth position.

#29- Kevin Harvick -  Kevin Harvick will pilot Chassis No.383 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the AdvoCare 500. Harvick raced this chassis at Phoenix International Raceway in March and Dover International Speedway in June, collecting second-place finishes in both events. The Bakersfield, Calif., native also drove this Chevrolet to a 15th-place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and to a 13th-place result at Dover in September.

#31- Jeff Burton - Jeff Burton will race Chassis No. 355 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized three times last season at Darlington Raceway (start-24th, finish-33rd), Kansas Speedway (start-16th, finish-25th) and Chicagoland Speedway

#39- Ryan Newman - – Chassis No. 39-719: This will be only the second start for Chassis No. 39-719. Tha car raced at Richmond in April, finished 15th.  Ryan Newman carries the phrase "Home of the Free Because of the Brave" on the TV panel of his #39 Quicken Loans/U.S. Army Chevy this weekend at Phoenix. The car has a special camouflage paint scheme.

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Crew Chief Chris “Shine” Heroy and the No. 42 Target team will bring Chassis #1220 to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. This chassis will make its season debut this weekend in Phoenix.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 team has prepared chassis No. 710 for Phoenix. This car has run previously this season at Dover and Bristol.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Chassis No. 715 serves as the primary for Johnson at Phoenix. Chassis No. 689 serves as the backup. No. 715 raced at Richmond in April, finished 6th and at Loudon finishing 7th in July and 2nd in September.

#55- Mark Martin - PRIMARY CHASSIS - 744– finished eighth at Martinsville with Brian Vickers behind the wheel.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-721. Earnhardt first raced this chassis to a fourth-place finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July.

#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 Blue Team will unload RK-811 at Phoenix. This car last raced at Bristol (22nd), but also ran Kentucky (20th) in June and Charlotte (9th) in May.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Phoenix

Press Conference Schedule, Phoenix

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. Times listed are local time.

Thursday, November 8:

2:45 p.m. – James Buescher (No. 31 Exide Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) – Media Center

Friday, November 9:

8:30a.m. – Austin Dillon (No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) – #3 Nationwide Series hauler

9:15 a.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 10 GoDaddy Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series & No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) – Media Center

9:45 a.m. – Ryan Newman (No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet/special Veterans Day paint scheme) – Media Center

11 a.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s/KOBALT Tools Chevrolet), 1^st in points (2339)/5 wins – Media Center

11:15 a.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet), 12^th in points (2188)/1 win - #88 hauler

11:40 a.m. – Brian Vickers (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota in the NASCAR Nationwide Series/team announcement) – Media Center

11:55 a.m. – Elliott Sadler (No. 2 One Main Financial Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) - Media Center

1:25 p.m. – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet), 8^th in points (2259)/3 wins – #14 hauler

1:30 p.m. – Kyle Larson (No. 4 Ganassi/Earnhardt Chevrolet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series) – Media Center

1:45 p.m. – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5 Hour Energy Toyota), 3^rd in points (2303)/3 wins - #15 hauler

2:30 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet), 6^th in points (2267/1 win) - #24 hauler

3 p.m. – Brad Keselowski (No. 2Miller Lite Dodge), 2^nd in points (2232/5 wins) – Media Center

3:15 p.m. – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 6 Valvoline NextGen Ford in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) – Media Center

- NASCAR 

SRT Motorsports Presents THE NUMBERS: AdvoCare 500 at Phoenix

THE NUMBERS for the AdvoCare 500
Phoenix International Raceway (all 32 Sprint Cup races included)
1 – fewest lead changes (11/4/90)

2 – fewest leaders (11/4/90)

2 – fewest caution (11/7/99)

3 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (10/30/94)

4 – number of wins from the pole (most recent, Carl Edwards, 11/14/10)

4 – fewest laps led by race winner (Ryan Newman, 4/10/10)

4 – most wins (Jimmie Johnson)

4 – most poles (Ryan Newman)

5 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend

7 – number of cautions during the 2012 spring race

10 – fewest caution laps (11/7/99)

15 – most leaders (3/4/12)

20 – different pole winners

23 – different race winners

25 – number of lead changes in spring race

27 – fewest running at finish (11/5/89)

28 – most lead changes (2/27/11)

29 – most on lead lap at finish (11/2/03)

41 – most cars running at finish (three times, most recent 4/21/07)

66 – most caution laps (11/2/03)

90 minutes – amount of time it takes to dry the track after a significant rainfall.

262 – most laps led by race winner (Dale Earnhardt, 11/4/90)

2012 Caution Update

1 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana)

9 – races extended beyond scheduled distance (Daytona, Martinsville, Talladega,
Darlington, Sonoma, Michigan2, Atlanta,Talladega2 and Texas2)

14 – most cautions this season (Kansas2)

205 – number of cautions in the first 34 races of 2012; includes 95 for accidents,
55 for debris and 24 for spins

1,074 of 9,856 – number of laps under caution in 2012

1,466.452 of 13,000.176 – miles under caution in the first 34 races

- Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports Press Release

Dollar General Expands Partnership With Joe Gibbs Racing

Joe Gibbs Racing announced today that it has signed a new expanded partnership agreement with Dollar General for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. The new agreement means Matt Kenseth, the 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, will drive Dollar General’s familiar yellow and black No. 20 car in 17 Sprint Cup Races next season beginning with the Daytona 500 in February. Kenseth, a two-time Daytona 500 winner, is the current defending champion of the Great American Race. In addition, Dollar General will return to the NASCAR Nationwide Series and will compete with a full championship season sponsorship with Brian Vickers at the wheel.

Vickers will return to the Nationwide Series on a fulltime basis in 2013, 10 years after he won three Nationwide races and became the youngest driver to win the Series Championship at the age of 20. Most recently, Vickers spent the 2012 season driving a partial NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule for Michael Waltrip Racing, where he finished in the top 10 in five starts including three top-five efforts. He has two career wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Since 2003, Vickers has continued to compete in the Nationwide Series, often driving the Dollar General car.


The 2013 season will mark Dollar General’s ninth year of NASCAR sponsorship, which will also continue to include two NASCAR Nationwide Series race sponsorships: The Dollar General 300 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and The Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca-Cola at Chicagoland Speedway.

- Joe Gibbs Racing Press Release

Phoenix International Raceway History and Notes

At Phoenix International Raceway:
History
· Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.

· Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.

· The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.

· The track underwent its first repave last year. The construction began in March and concluded in September of 2011.

· The following changes were made during the construction period (March – Sept., 2011):

o Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet

o Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls

o Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet

o Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet

o Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4

Notebook
· There have been 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.

· Geoffrey Bodine won the first pole in 1988 at a speed of 123.203 mph (29.220 sec.).

· There have been 19 different pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four.

· Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, and Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.

· There have been 23 different race winners, led by Jimmie Johnson, with four – (’07 fall, ’08 sweep, ’09 fall).

· The race has been won from the pole four times: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).

· The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in 17 of 32 events.

· Denny Hamlin (November, 2005) won his first career pole at Phoenix International Raceway.

· Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.

· Matt Kenseth won the 2002 race from the 28th-place starting position, the furthest back an active race winner has started.

· Mark Martin has 20 top-10 finishes, more than any other driver. Martin (9.0 average finish) is one of two active drivers who average a top-10 finish. Jimmie Johnson (5.2) is the other.

· Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix, Kurt Busch in April of 2005 and Kevin Harvick in November of 2006.

· Five drivers have won consecutive races at Phoenix: Davey Allison (1991,1992); Jeff Burton (2000, 2001); Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2003, 2004); Kevin Harvick (swept 2006); Jimmie Johnson is the only one of the five to win three consecutive races (fall 2007, swept 2008).

· Hendrick Motorsports leads the series in wins at Phoenix with nine, followed by Roush Fenway Racing with six.

· Of the seven drivers with multiple wins at Phoenix International Raceway, Mark Martin is the only driver to win in two different manufacturers: Ford (1993) and Chevrolet (2009).

· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Texas Motor Speedway winner: Phoenix International Raceway winner: Kyle Busch (11/13/2005 – 20 years, 6 months, 11 days). Oldest NSCS Phoenix International Raceway winner: Mark Martin (4/18/2009 – 50 years, 3 months, 9 days).

· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Phoenix International Raceway pole winner: Kyle Busch (4/22/2006 – 20 years, 11 months, 20 days). Oldest NSCS Phoenix International Raceway pole winner: Mark Martin (4/18/2009 – 53 years, 1 months, 24 days).

Phoenix International Raceway DataChase Race #: 9 of 10Season Race #: 35 of 36 (11-11-12)
Track Size: 1-mile
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 10 - 11 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 8 - 9 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 3 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,179 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,551 feet
Race Length: 312 laps / 500 Kilometers

Top 12 Driver Rating at Phoenix
Jimmie Johnson........................ 118.4
Tony Stewart............................. 100.4
Carl Edwards.............................. 99.7
Jeff Gordon................................ 99.5
Kurt Busch.................................. 98.9
Denny Hamlin............................. 98.8
Mark Martin................................. 98.4
Kevin Harvick.............................. 97.5
Kyle Busch................................. 96.9
Greg Biffle.................................. 93.3
Martin Truex Jr............................ 89.1
Ryan Newman............................. 88.6
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (15 total) among active drivers at Phoenix International Raceway

-NASCAR Statistics

NASCAR This Week on ESPN

NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series at Phoenix
The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will race at the 1-mile Phoenix International Raceway with races on Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 10-11 and ESPN will have live telecasts of both races. Coverage of Sunday’s 500-kilometer NASCAR Sprint Cup race, the next-to-last of the 10 races in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, begins with NASCAR Countdown at 2 p.m. ET and the race’s green flag at 3:15 p.m. Saturday’s 200-mile NASCAR Nationwide Series race coverage begins with NASCAR Countdown at 3:30 p.m. and the green flag at 4:16 p.m.  All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets with the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.
Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick (Sprint Cup); Marty Reid (Nationwide); analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch.
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe (host); Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham, Brad Daugherty (analysts).


ESPN’s Hannah Storm Goes Face-to-Face with NASCAR Stars
With the 2012 NASCAR season nearing the finish line, four of the sport’s biggest stars open their lives to fans in a one-hour, prime time conversation special with ESPN SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm on Tuesday, Nov. 6, at 8 p.m. on ESPN. NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Brad Keselowski and Tony Stewart will offer an up-close look at their lives on and away from the track through a blend of conversation and access as they near the end of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Johnson and Keselowski are currently locked in a battle for the 2012 series championship. The program repeats on Thursday night, Nov. 8, at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. Full Release


NASCAR Now Schedule
ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway in the one-hour edition airing Sunday, Nov. 11, at 8 a.m. ET. Host Lindsay Czarniak will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven with reporters Marty Smith and Shannon Spake at the track. Czarniak and Craven will review the race Sunday night at 10 p.m. while ESPN analyst Dale Jarrett joins for more review on Monday’s show at 2 p.m. Wednesday’s program includes a salute to NASCAR Hall of Famer, former team owner and WWII vet Bud Moore. The week’s schedule:

Date Time Show Host Network

Mon., Nov. 5 11:30 p.m.  NASCAR Now Mike Massaro        ESPN2

Tue., Nov. 6 3:30 p.m.   NASCAR Now Mike Massaro        ESPN2

Wed., Nov. 7 3 p.m.         NASCAR Now Mike Massaro        ESPN2

Thu., Nov. 8 11:30 p.m.  NASCAR Now Chris Cotter            ESPN2

Sun., Nov. 11 8 a.m.         NASCAR Now Lindsay Czarniak ESPN2

Sun., Nov. 11 10 p.m.       NASCAR Now Lindsay Czarniak ESPN2

- ESPN Media Zone

SRT Motorsports Presents THE NUMBERS for The AAA Texas 500

THE NUMBERS for the AAA Texas 500
Texas Motor Speedway (all 23 Sprint Cup races included)
1 – number of wins from the pole (Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Dodge, 4/9/06)

1 – fewest laps led by race winner (Jeff Burton, 4/15/07)

2 – fewest cautions  (4/14/12)

4 – fewest leaders (11/8/09)

6 – number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend

6 – fewest cars on lead lap at finish (11/8/09)

10 – fewest caution laps (4/14/12)

12 – most cautions (three times, most recent 11/4/07)

13 – fewest lead changes (twice, most recent 11/8/09)

16 – different race winners

17 – most leaders (4/2/00)

17 – wins from a top-10 starting position

25 – most on lead lap at finish (11/6/05)

29 – fewest running at finish (three times, most recent 4/19/10)

33 – most lead changes (11/7/10)

40 – most cars running at finish (twice, most recent 11/2/08)

73 – most caution laps (4/6/97)

120 minutes – amount of time it takes to dry the 1.5-mile track after a significant rainfall.

278 – most laps led by race winner (11/5/06)

Key TMS Dates

1995 – construction began

1997 – first Sprint Cup race

2005 – first year track hosted two Sprint Cup events

2012 Caution Update

1 – fewest cautions this season (Fontana)

8 – races extended beyond scheduled distance (Daytona, Martinsville, Talladega,
Darlington, Sonoma, Michigan2, Atlanta and Talladega2)

14 – most cautions this season (Kansas2)

196 – number of cautions in the first 33 races of 2012; includes 91 for accidents,
50 for debris and 24 for spins

1,025 of 9,521 – number of laps under caution in 2012

1,392.952 of 12, 497.676 – miles under caution in the first 33 races

BONUS:  Three Texas tracks have hosted 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races with Texas Motor Speedway the site of 23 races since 1997.  Meyer Speedway in Houston hosted one race in 1971 and Texas World Speedway in College Station hosted eight from 1969 to 1981.

- Darnell Communications for SRT Motorsports Press Release

NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Texas

Press Conference Schedule,

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. Times listed are local time.

Friday, November 2:

10 a.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 10 GoDaddy Racing Chevrolet in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series & No. 7 SEGA Sonic the Hedgehog/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) and crew chief Tony Gibson – Media Center/deadline room

10:15 a.m. – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota), 3^rd in points (2265)/3 wins – Media Center/deadline room

10:30 a.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), 1^st in points (2291)/4 wins – Media Center/deadline room

10:45 a.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 National Guard/Diet Mountain Dew Chevrolet), 12^th in points (2151)/1 win – #88 hauler

1 p.m. – Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet), 10^th in points (2220)/3 wins - #14 hauler

2 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet), 6^th in points (2237)/1 win – #24 hauler

2:30 p.m. – Elliott Sadler (No. 2 One Main Financial in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – points leader) – Media Center/deadline room

Note: Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), 2^nd in points (2289)/5 wins will come to the media center following NSCS qualifying (begins Friday at 3:40 p.m.)

9:45pm (ET) approx for post NCWTS race Media Center

 

 

Saturday, November 3:

9:45pm (ET) approx for post NNS race Media Center

 

 

Sunday, November 4:

6:25pm (ET) approx for post NSCS race Media Center

- NASCAR