Two NASCAR Nationwide Series Teams Penalized Following Post-Race Incidents At Richmond International Raceway

Penalties have been levied to two NASCAR Nationwide Series teams as a result of their involvement in separate post-race incidents following last Friday’s race at Richmond International Raceway.

Thomas Costello and Michael Scearce, both crew members for the No. 2 team, have each been fined $15,000 and suspended from NASCAR until the completion of the next four NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship events. They have also been placed on NASCAR probation until Dec. 31. Both Costello and Scearce were found to be in violation of Section 12-1 (Actions detrimental to stock car racing. Involved in an altercation with another competitor after the race had concluded). 

Drivers Nelson Piquet Jr. (No. 30 car) and Brian Scott (No. 2 car) have been placed on NASCAR probation until June 26 for violating Section 12-1 and their involvement in an on-track altercation with their two cars after the race had concluded. 

Crew chiefs Chris Carrier (No. 30 car) and Phil Gould (No. 2 car) have likewise been placed on NASCAR probation until June 26 as a result of the on-track incident between their two drivers.

Talladega Speedway History and Notes

At Talladega Superspeedway:
History
· Construction began on what was then known as the Alabama International Motor Speedway on May 23, 1968.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on Sept. 14, 1969 – won by Richard Brickhouse.

· The name changed to Talladega Superspeedway in 1989.

· Fourth repaving completed on Sept. 19, 2006.

Notebook
· There have been 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Talladega Superspeedway, one NSCS event in 1969 and two races per year since 1970.

· Talladega Superspeedway is tied with Michigan International Speedway for holding the ninth most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying races (87).

· 429 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega; 294 in more than one.

· Dave Marcis leads the series in starts at Talladega with 61. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 57 starts; followed by Michael Waltrip with 53.

· Bobby Isaac won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Talladega in 1969 with a speed of 199.466 mph. Isaac won the first three poles at the 2.66-mile superspeedway.

· 36 drivers have Coors Light poles at Talladega, led by Bill Elliott with eight. Joe Nemechek leads all active drivers with four.

· 10 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Talladega. Bill Elliott holds the record for most consecutive poles at Talladega with six (1985-1987).

· Youngest Talladega pole winner: Jimmie Johnson (4/21/2002 – 26 years, 7 months, 4 days).

· Oldest Talladega pole winner: Mark Martin (10/23/2012 – 52 years, 9 months, 14 days).

· 47 different drivers have won at Talladega Superspeedway, led by Dale Earnhardt with 10. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.

· Richard Childress Racing has the most wins at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 12; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 11.

· Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Talladega; led by Chevrolet with 38 victories; followed by Ford with 19.

· 13 of the 87 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Talladega have been won from the Coors Light pole. Only two active drivers have been able to accomplish the feat: Bobby Labonte (1998) and Jeff Gordon (2007).

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Talladega was 36th, by Jeff Gordon in the spring of 2000.

· Youngest Talladega winner: Bobby Hillin Jr. (7/27/1986 – 22 years, 1 month, 22 days).

· Oldest Talladega winner: Harry Gant (5/6/1991 – 51 years, 3 months, 26 days).

· Buddy Baker and Tony Stewart are tied for the series most runner-up finishes at Talladega with six each.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt leads the series in top-five finishes at Talladega with 23. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with 15.

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Talladega with a 10.182.

· Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Talladega with a 12.250.

· There have been six NSCS races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Talladega Superspeedway: spring of 2005 (188/194), fall of 2005 (188/190), spring of 2007 (188/192), fall of 2008 (188/190) spring of 2010 (188/200) and fall of 2012 (188/189).

· Only two of the 87 races at Talladega Superspeedway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1987 and fall of 1996.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup at Talladega Superspeedway three times; most recently spring of 2010.

· Jamie McMurray (10/6/2002) made his series debut at Talladega Superspeedway.

· Juan Pablo Montoya (4/26/2009), David Gilliland (10/8/2006) and Travis Kvapil (10/5/2008) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Coors Light poles at Talladega.

· 2012 series champion Brad Keselowski (4/26/2009), Brian Vickers (10/8/2006) and Ken Schrader (7/31/1988) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup wins at Talladega.

· Nine drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Talladega Dale Earnhardt Jr. leads the series in consecutive wins at Talladega after posting four consecutive wins from the fall of 2001 – 2003.

· 15 of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Talladega Superspeedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane.Brad Keselowski is the only active series driver to win at Talladega in his first appearance.

· Matt Kenseth competed at Talladega Superspeedway 25 times before winning last fall; the longest span of any the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners.

· Matt Kenseth (25), Terry Labonte (21), Tony Stewart (19), Kevin Harvick (18) and Mark Martin (18) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Talladega.

· Jeff Burton leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Talladega without visiting Victory Lane at 38.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Talladega Superspeedway was the race on April 17, 2011 won by Jimmie Johnson with a MOV of 0.002 second – the MOV is tied with the 2003 Darlington race as the closest finishes in the NSCS using electronic scoring.

· Two female drivers have competed at Talladega in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series –

. Janet Guthrie made three Talladega starts:

(5/1/1977) - starting 13th and finishing 32nd

(8/7/1977) - starting ninth and finishing 34th

(8/6/1978) – starting 12th and finishing 29th

. Patty Moise made one Talladega start:

(7/30/1989) - starting 13th and finishing 32nd

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Talladega with 839 laps led in 40 starts.
Talladega Superspeedway Data
Season Race #: 10 of 36 (05-05-13)Track Size: 2.66-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 33 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 33 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 16.5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 4,300 feet
Backstretch Length: 4,000 feet
Race Length: 188 laps / 500 miles

Top 12 Driver Rating at TalladegaJeff Burton................................. 91.4Dale Earnhardt Jr........................ 89.6
Matt Kenseth.............................. 88.9
Brian Vickers.............................. 87.3
Kurt Busch.................................. 86.1
Brad Keselowski......................... 85.6
David Ragan............................... 85.5
Denny Hamlin............................. 84.9
Tony Stewart............................... 83.5
Jeff Gordon................................ 83.1
Jamie McMurray.......................... 81.7
Kyle Busch................................. 81.1

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (16 total) among active drivers at Talladega Superspeedway.

- NASCAR Statistics

NASCAR This Week on ESPN

NASCAR Nationwide Series at Talladega
The NASCAR Nationwide Series competes on NASCAR’s largest track, Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, on Saturday, May 4, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards will be a guest analyst in the ESPN booth during the telecast of the race. NASCAR Countdown airs at 2:30 p.m. ET and the race’s green flag is at 3:35 p.m., with the telecast airing on ESPN and WatchESPN. Also from Talladega on Saturday, ESPN2 will televise qualifying at noon.

Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick; analysts Carl Edwards, Andy Petree.

Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch.

NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe (host); Rusty Wallace, Brad Daugherty (analysts).

NASCAR Now ScheduleESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway in the one-hour edition airing Sunday, May 5, at 9 a.m. ET. Host Allen Bestwick will be joined by ESPN NASCAR analyst Rusty Wallace in the studio with reporters Marty Smith and Jim Noble at the track. Bestwick and Wallace will review the race in the edition airing Tuesday, May 7, at 1:30 a.m. (late Monday night). NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Carl Edwards will be a guest on the program airing Wednesday, May 1, at 1 a.m. The week’s schedule:

Date            Time                Show                   Host                  Network

Tue., April 30    1:30 a.m.     NASCAR Now    Marty Reid           ESPN2
Wed., May 1      1 a.m.          NASCAR Now     Marty Reid           ESPN2
Thurs., May 2   1:30 a.m.     NASCAR Now     Marty Reid           ESPN2
Fri., May 3        1 a.m.           NASCAR Now     Marty Reid          ESPN2
Sun., May 5       9 a.m.          NASCAR Now     Allen Bestwick     ESPN2
Tue., May 7       1:30 a.m.     NASCAR Now     Allen Bestwick     ESPN2

-ESPN Media Zone News

NASCAR Chassis Selections - Richmond

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:  

#2- Brad Keselowski -  Primary Chassis: PRS-852 - New chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-847 - Last Raced: Backup chassis from Texas (not used)

#5- Kasey Kahne - Quaker State will adorn the hood of Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Richmond. Crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-769 for Saturday night’s event at Richmond. Most recently, Kahne led 109 laps and won last month at Bristol with this chassis.

#7- Dave Blaney - Primary Chassis 297, which last saw action at Bristol and is back in the fleet after repairs.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 Dewalt Ford Fusion team has prepared chassis No. 838 for Richmond. The team last competed with the chassis at Phoenix International Raceway earlier this season.

#10-Danica Patrick - Chassis No. 10-791: This is a new car that has not been used previously.

#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-792: This Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1chassis is a brand new race car that has never turned a wheel on the racetrack.

#16- Greg Biffle - Primary Chassis RK-844 was brand new to the track earlier this year at Phoenix and earned a 17th-place finish. Backup Chassis: RK-803 Last ran Bristol – finished 11th.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Primary Chassis RK-832 is the same chassis that the No.17 team ran at Phoenix International Raceway finishing a respectable 16th. This chassis ran numerous times by the No. 99 team in 2012. The backup Chassis RK-801 was a chassis that the No. 99 ran numerous times in 2012. It has been a backup at Martinsville, Bristol, and Phoenix so far this season.

#22- Joey Logano -  Primary Chassis: PRS-853 - New chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-844 - Last Raced: Backup chassis from Fontana, Texas (not used)

#27- Paul Menard - This Week’s CertainTeed/Menards Chevrolet.  Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 419 at Richmond International Raceway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was previously run this season at Martinsville Speedway.

#29- Kevin Harvick - This Week’s Bell Helicopter Chevrolet at Richmond International Raceway. Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 420 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the Richmond 400. This Chevrolet is new to the rotation this season and made its first appearance at Martinsville Speedway in April, where Harvick finished 13th.

#31- Jeff Burton - This week’s No. 31 Airgas/Bulwark Chevrolet SS at Richmond International Raceway. Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 329 this weekend at Richmond International Raceway. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized twice during the 2012 season at both NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Martinsville Speedway. 

#36- J J Yeley - The #36 team will field Chassis No. 277 which last ran at Martinsville.

#39- Ryan Newman - In 14 Sprint Cup Series starts at Kansas, Newman has one win, one pole, five top-five finishes and 13 top-10s. Additionally, the 35-year-old from South Bend, Ind., has led 450 laps, has an average starting position of 11.3 and an average finish of 11.6 at the .75-mile oval.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion team has prepared chassis No. 837 for Richmond. The team last competed with the chassis at Phoenix International Raceway earlier this season.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson will drive chassis No. 778 at Richmond. Chassis No. 689 serves as the backup. No. 778 raced in Phoenix this year, started 3rd, finished 2nd. No. 689 raced twice in 2012 and twice in 2011 with a best finish of 4th at phoenix in 2012. 

#55- Mark Martin - This weeks Aaron's Dream Machine primary chassis is No. 714, it  won the pole at Phoenix in 2013 and finished 21st. 

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr -  This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte and the National Guard team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-721. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a sixth-place finish at Phoenix International Raceway in March.

#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 Geek Squad team will be bringing chassis RK-802 to Richmond this weekend. This is the same chassis that ran in Phoenix, sending Edwards into victory lane for his first win of the 2013 season and breaking a 70-race winless streak. Backup Chassis: RK- 790 was the backup car for Martinsville and Phoenix. 

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

No. 20 NASCAR Cup Series Team Penalized For Failing Post-Race Engine Inspection After Kansas

Penalties have been handed down to the No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team as a result of rule violations discovered in the post-race engine inspection April 23 at the NASCAR Research and Development Center.

The No. 20 car was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-5.5.3 (E) (Only magnetic steel connecting rods with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted; connecting rod failed to meet the minimum connecting rod weight) of the 2013 rule book.

As a result of this violation, NASCAR has assessed the following penalties:
· Crew chief Jason Ratcliff has been fined $200,000 and suspended from NASCAR until the completion of the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship points events (a period of time that also includes the non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race) and placed on probation until Dec. 31.

· Car owner Joe Gibbs has lost 50 championship car owner points; the first place finish from April 21 at Kansas Speedway will not earn bonus points toward the accumulated aggregate car owner points total after the completion of the first 26 events of the current season and will not be credited towards the eligibility for a car owner Wild Card position; has had the owner’s license for the No. 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car suspended until the completion of the next six championship points events, therefore being ineligible to receive championship car owner points during that period of time.

· Driver Matt Kenseth has lost 50 championship driver points; the Coors Light Pole award from April 19 at Kansas Speedway will not be allowed for eligibility into the 2014 Sprint Unlimited; the first place finish from April 21 at Kansas Speedway will not earn bonus points toward the accumulated aggregate driver points total after the completion of the first 26 events of the current season and will not be credited towards the eligibility for a driver Wild Card position.

· The loss of five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Manufacturer Championship points.

- NASCAR

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series #98 Team Penalized

NASCAR announced yesterday penalties and fines to the No. 98 team that competes in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as a result of rule infractions at Kansas Speedway. 

The No. 98 truck was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4K (if in the judgment of NASCAR Officials, race equipment that has been previously verified or previously approved and/or sealed by NASCAR for use in an event, pursuant to sub-section 8-6 and/or 8-12, has been altered, modified, repaired, or changed in any manner); 20B-16 (once a fuel cell or fuel cell components have been certified, modifications of any kind will not be permitted to the fuel cell or fuel cell components); and 20B-16.1B (standard black, safety foam with minimum free-standing height of eight (8) inches, acceptable to NASCAR Officials, and used as provided by an approved fuel cell manufacturer, must be used: Fuel cell safety foam modification.) of the 2013 rule book. 

As a result of this violation, crew chief Joel Shear has been fined $10,000 and suspended from NASCAR competition until the completion of the next four (4) NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events. He has been placed on NASCAR probation until December 31. The team has also been docked 25 championship driver (Johnny Sauter) and 25 championship owner (Mike Curb) points.

The violations involving the No. 98 truck occurred in opening day inspection.

- NASCAR

NASCAR Driver Statistics - Richmond

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 20 previous starts at Richmond International Raceway, McMurray has led 19 laps, earning three top-10 finishes. He has an average starting and finishing position of 24.3 and 23.2, 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. McMurray has completed 7,505 of 8,003 (93.8%) laps of competition at RIR.

#2- Brad Keselowski - Keselowski has 7 starts at Richmond, earning 2 top 10's, His best finish was a 7th place finish in September of 2012. 

#5- Kasey Kahne -  In 18 Sprint Cup starts at Richmond, Kahne has earned one win, four top-five finishes and seven top-10s. He won in 2005 after starting from the pole position. Kahne scored a fifth-place finish in this race at Richmond a year ago. He has led 281 laps at the .75-mile oval during the last eight years, ranking him eighth among active drivers during that time.

#7- Dave Blaney - Blaney will make his 25th start at Richmond on Saturday night. He has 1 top 5, 2 top 10's 12 laps led and an average finish of 25.792.

#9- Marcos Ambrose -  Marcos Ambrose hopes to best his career-best finish of fifth at the Richmond International Raceway and collect the team’s first top-five of the season. Ambrose has 1 top 5 and 2 top 10's and an average finish of 16.00 at the track.  He will wheel the No. 9 DEWALT Ford in his ninth start at the .75-mile track this weekend.

#14-Tony Stewart - The Toyota Owners 400 will mark Stewart’s 509th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 29th Sprint Cup start at Richmond International Raceway. Stewart has three wins, four second-place finishes, 11 top-fives, 19 top-10s and has led a total of 950 laps in his 28 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. His average start is 17.7, his average finish is 10.4 and he has a lap completion rate of 98.4 percent.  Stewart’s first career Sprint Cup victory came on Sept. 11, 1999 at Richmond.

#15- Clint Bowyer - In his previous 14 starts at Richmond, Bowyer has scored 2 wins, 2 top 5's and 8 top 10's. He has led 163 laps with an average finish of 9.571. 

#16- Greg Biffle - Biffle has 21 Sprint Cup career starts at Richmond, earning two top-five and six top-10 finishes.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Stenhouse will make his first Sprint Cup career start at Richmond this weekend. Stenhouse has six Nationwide career starts at Richmond, earning four top-five and four top-10 finishes. Stenhouse is currently 18th in the Sprint Cup standings. 115 points behind the leader.

#18- Kyle Busch - The Toyota Owners 400 will mark Kyle Busch’s 302nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 17th Sprint Cup start at Richmond International Raceway. Busch has four wins, 12 top-fives, 13 top-10s, and has led a total of 891 laps in 16 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. His average Richmond finish is 5.4. Additionally, Busch has completed all but one of the 6,410 laps available to him during his 16 starts at Richmond.

#20- Matt Kenseth -   In 26 career starts at Richmond in the Cup Series, Kenseth has earned one win, four top-five, and 10 top-ten finishes at the 0.75-mile track.  He’s completed 10,158 of 10,403 (97.6 percent) career laps at RIR and has an average finish of 16.5 in the Sprint Cup Series.

#22- Joey Logano - Logano has made 8 starts at Richmond and has 1 top 5, a 4th place finish in September of 2010. His average finish at the track is 19.125.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Along with two wins at the Virginia track, the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has five poles, 16 top-five finishes and 25 top-10s in 40 starts. Gordon has a 7.9 average starting position and he has led 1,415 laps - both tops among active drivers at the short track. However, bettering those numbers will require some guessing.

#27- Paul Menard -  Menard has 12 starts at Richmond International Raceway. His best start of seventh came in 2010 and best finish of 13th came in 2012. The Wisconsin native has completed 4,689 of 4,810 laps attempted (97.5 percent) at the Virginia track, leading one of them.

#29- Kevin Harvick - Harvick will make his 25th Sprint Cup Series start at the 0.75-mile facility Saturday evening. Through the years, the California native has collected two wins (September 2006 and September 2011), one pole award (September 2005), six top-five and 15 top-10 finishes. Harvick maintains an average start of 16.5 coupled with an 11.7 average finishing position, has completed 98.8 percent (9,486 of 9,603) laps contested and led 942 laps at the Virginia-based facility. 

#31- Jeff Burton - Burton grew up two hours away from the Richmond, Va.-based facility in South Boston, Va. Saturday’s event marks Burton’s 38th start at the .75-mile facility and 664th-career NSCS start. He has amassed one win (1998), one pole award (2000), nine top-five and 16 top-10 finishes at the historic track.  Burton has made three trips to Victory Lane at Richmond International Raceway, winning the NSCS event in September 1998 and NASCAR Nationwide Series races in June 1998 and September 2000.

#36- J J Yeley - Yeley has 7 starts at Richmond with a best finish of 10th in 2007. His average start is 35.857 and average finish is 25.429.

#39- Ryan Newman - Chassis No. 39-790: Newman will pilot Chassis No. 39-790 at Richmond International Raceway. Built new for 2013, Chassis 39-790 will see its first laps of racing competition this weekend.

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya -  Montoya has 12 starts at RIR which include one pole (spring 2011) and three top-10 finishes. He has led 28 laps and his best finish was in May of 2010 when he finished sixth. Montoya’s average start at Richmond is 14.8 with an average finish of 20.6.

#43- Aric Almirola - Almirola has two Sprint Cup starts at Richmond International Raceway under his belt, both during last season, and has five Nationwide starts at the .75-mile track. He collected his best Richmond finish of seventh in the fall Nationwide race in 2011.

#47- Bobby Labonte - Bobby Labonte has one pole award, four top-five, and 10 top-10 finishes and has led 161 laps at Richmond International Raceway. His average start is 19.725 and his average finish is 19.250. The Corpus Christi, Texas-native’s best finish is second twice occurring on 9/11/99 and 5/3/03. The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion is currently 28th in the drivers points standings, 184 points behind leader Jimmie Johnson. Labonte is only 113 points out of 10th place.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Notes of Interest: Three wins (September 2008 and April and September 2007) in 22 starts. Two poles (September 2007 and 2002). Five top-five finishes (22.7 percent) and 8 top-10s (36.4 percent) in 22 starts. Completed 8,297 of 8,803 laps (94.3 percent) and led 417. Average start is 12.0 and average finish is 16.5. One DNF (did not finish) – April 2005.

#55- Mark Martin -  In 54 Sprint Cup starts at Richmond, Martin owns one victory (1990) and 18 top-five finishes. He’s led 449 laps.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr -  In 27 Sprint Cup starts at Richmond International Raceway, Earnhardt has recorded three wins, one pole position, nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. He has led a total of 494 laps and completed 99.1 percent of all laps he's attempted at the short track (10,707 laps of 10,803 total).

#99- Carl Edwards - Edwards will make his 18th NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Richmond International Raceway this weekend. In eight starts this season he has one win, four top-five, and four top-10 finishes.  He sits sixth in points.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Richmond

Press Conference Schedule, Richmond

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, April 25:

12:30 p.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota) – Media Center

12:45 p.m. – Denny Hamlin – Media Center

1:15 p.m. – Jeffrey Earnhardt (No. 5 CorvetteParts.net Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) – Media Center

1:30 p.m. – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Redd’s Apple Ale Ford Fusion), 3^rd in points (273) – Media Center

Friday, April 26:

10 a.m. – Crew chief Jason Ratcliff (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota) - #20 hauler

10:30 a.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet) – Media Center

2:15 p.m. – David Ragan (No. 34 CSX-Play It Safe Ford) – Media Center

3:30 p.m. – Carl Edwards (No. 99 Geek Squad Ford) with local high school student, 6^th in points (262/1 win) – Media Center

4 p.m. – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Quaker State Chevrolet), 2^nd in points (274/1 win) – Media Center

4:15 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet) - #24 hauler

Saturday, April 27:

5:45 p.m. – Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Depend Chevrolet) & DeMarcus Ware, Dallas Cowboys – Media Center  

- NASCAR  

Goodyear Tire Fast Facts - Richmond

GOODYEAR TIRE NOTES- Richmond 

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series -- Race No. 9 -- Toyota Owners 400 
NASCAR Nationwide Series -- Race No. 7 -- ToyotaCare 250 
Richmond International Raceway (0.75-mile oval) - Richmond, Va. 

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Intermediate Radials 

Number of Tires:
 Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,200, Right-side -- 1,275; 
Nationwide: Left-side -- 675, Right-side -- 675 

Set limits: 
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 11 sets for 
the race.

Nationwide: 3 sets for Thursday practice and 6 sets for Friday 
practice/qualifying/race. 

Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4416; Right-side -- D-4432 

Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.4 in. (2,220 mm); Right-side -- 
88.7 in. (2,253 mm) 

Technical Inspection Inflation: Left Front -- 20 psi; Left Rear -- 20 
psi; Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 30 psi 


Minimum Recommended Inflation: Left Front -- 12 psi; Left Rear -- 12 
psi; Right Front -- 30 psi; Right Rear -- 27 psi 

Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will 
run the same tire codes at Richmond this week. This is the same 
combination of left and right side tires that teams in both series 
have run at Richmond the last two seasons. Sprint Cup and 
Nationwide teams also ran this left side tire code (D-4416) with a 
different right side code at Bristol last month. As on most NASCAR 
ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in 
their tires at Richmond. 

- Goodyear Racing News

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 won by Lee Petty.

· 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 in 1970.

· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarter-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 113 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway, one NSCS event from 1953-1958 and two races per year since 1959.

· 467 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond; 304 in more than one.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Richmond with 63. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 55 starts; followed by Mark Martin with 54.

· Buck Baker won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Richmond in 1953 with a speed of 48.465 mph.

· 51 drivers have Coors Light poles at Richmond, led by Richard Petty and Bobby Allison with eight each. Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin lead all active drivers with five each.

· Seven drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Richmond. Bobby Allison holds the record for most consecutive poles at Richmond with five (1972 - 1974).

· Youngest Richmond pole winner: Brian Vickers (5/15/2004 – 20 years, 6 months, 21 days).

· Oldest Richmond pole winner: Mark Martin (4/28/2012 – 53 years, 3 months, 19 days).

· 47 different drivers have won at Richmond International Raceway, led by Richard Petty with 13. Kyle Busch leads all active drivers with four.

· Petty Enterprises has the most wins at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 15; followed by Hendrick Motorsports with 10 and Joe Gibbs Racing with nine.

· Chevrolet leads the series in wins at Richmond with 35 victories; followed by Ford with 28 wins.

· 22 of the 113 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from the Coors Light pole. Only three active drivers have been able to accomplish the feat: Kasey Kahne (2005), Jimmie Johnson (2007) and Kyle Busch (2010).

· The pole starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing the most winners than any other starting position at Richmond (22).

· 35 of the 113 (30.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond have been won from the front row: 22 from the pole and 13 from second-place.

· 90 of the 113 (79.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· 11 of the 113 (9.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond International Raceway have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Richmond International Raceway was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the spring of 2008.

· Youngest Richmond winner: Richard Petty (4/23/1961 – 23 years, 9 months, 21 days).

· Oldest Richmond winner: Harry Gant (9/7/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 28 days).

· Bobby Allison and Richard Petty are tied for the lead in runner-up finishes at Richmond with nine each. Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers with six.

· Richard Petty leads the series in top-five finishes at Richmond with 34. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 18; followed by Jeff Gordon with 16.

· Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Richmond with 44. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 30; followed by Terry Labonte with 28.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Richmond International Raceway with a 7.925.

· Kyle Busch leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Richmond International Raceway with a 5.438.

· Three active drivers have a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series average finish in the top 10 at Richmond: Kyle Busch (5.4), Denny Hamlin (8.0) and Clint Bowyer (9.5).

· There has been one NSCS race resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Richmond International Raceway: spring of 2008 (400/410).

· Only four of the 113 races at Richmond International Raceway have been shortened due to weather conditions: spring of 1962, spring of 1977, spring of 1982 and spring of 2003.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway six times; most recently fall of 2008.

· Kevin Harvick has participated in the most NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond without posting a DNF (24).

· Bobby Labonte (9/11/1993) and Brian Vickers (5/15/2004) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light poles at Richmond.

· Tony Stewart (9/11/1999) and Kasey Kahne (5/14/2005) posted their first NASCAR Sprint Cup wins at Richmond.

· Eight drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series have posted consecutive wins at Richmond International Raceway. Richard Petty leads the series in consecutive wins at Richmond after posting seven consecutive wins from the fall of 1970 – 1973. Terry Labonte (1994-1995) and Jimmie Johnson (2007 sweep) are the only two active drivers with consecutive wins at Richmond.

· All of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Richmond International Raceway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart won at Richmond in their second appearance.

· Terry Labonte competed at Richmond International Raceway 32 times before winning in 1994; the longest span of any of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

· Terry Labonte (32), Joe Nemechek (18), Kevin Harvick (11) and Jimmie Johnson (10) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win at Richmond International Raceway.

· Bobby Labonte leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Richmond without visiting Victory Lane at 40.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Richmond International Raceway was the Sept. 12, 1998 race won by Jeff Burton with an MOV of 0.051 of a second.

· Janet Guthrie is the only female driver to have competed at Richmond in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (twice) – (2/27/1977) starting 13th and finishing 12th; 9/11/1977 - starting 14th and finishing 12th.

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Richmond with 1,415 laps led in 40 starts.

Richmond International Raceway DataSeason Race #: 9 of 36 (4-27-13)Track Size: 0.75-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 14 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,290 feet
Backstretch Length: 860 feet
Race Length: 400 laps / 300 miles

Top 12 Driver Rating at RichmondDenny Hamlin............................ 117.8Kyle Busch............................... 113.9
Kevin Harvick............................ 111.1
Clint Bowyer............................... 98.5
Tony Stewart............................... 97.9
Jeff Gordon................................ 96.6
Mark Martin................................. 92.6
Ryan Newman............................. 92.0
Jimmie Johnson.......................... 90.4
Kurt Busch.................................. 88.6
Carl Edwards.............................. 88.4
Kasey Kahne.............................. 87.8

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (16 total) among active drivers at Richmond International Raceway.

- NASCAR Statistics

NASCAR Announces New Sprint Cup Road-Course Qualifying Procedure

NASCAR announced today that the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will implement the group-based road course qualifying procedure used in NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Touring Series competition during its road-course events at Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International. Under the new procedure, cars will qualify in groups instead of the traditional single-car qualifying runs held on oval race tracks.

“The change will add an exciting element to road-course qualifying,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition. “Fans will be treated to new strategy and increased competition with several cars on track at once.”

The new qualifying rules for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at road courses are as follows:
· Cars attempting to qualify will be divided into groups. The number of groups, and amount of cars in each, will depend on the number of cars that practice for the event.

· Group assignments will be based on final practice times.

· Each qualifying group will be on-track for a set period of time, determined by the Series Director.

· A car’s best lap time during the group session will be the qualifying lap time of record.

· A group’s time begins when the first car receives the green flag at the start/finish line.

“This is going to be a terrific new format for our NASCAR weekend,” said Steve Page, president and general manager of Sonoma Raceway. “It will intensify the action, with multiple cars on the track at the same time. It’s a very positive development for our fans.”

“The new format of qualifying at Watkins Glen International enhances the fan experience which is our top priority,” said Michael Printup, president of Watkins Glen. “Qualifying on Saturday for our Cheez-It 355 at The Glen is even more of a not-to-be missed aspect of a weekend of high-quality racing.”

The new format will debut with the Toyota Save-Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 23 and will return at Watkins Glen for the Cheez-It 355 at the Glen on August 11.

NASCAR This Week On ESPN

NASCAR Nationwide Series in Prime Time from Richmond
The NASCAR Nationwide Series competes under the lights on the action-packed Richmond International Raceway on Friday night, April 26, and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Carl Edwards will be a guest analyst in the ESPN booth during the telecast of the 250-lap race. NASCAR Countdown airs at 7 p.m. ET with the race’s green flag at 7:44 p.m., with the telecast airing on ESPNEWS and WatchESPN. Also from Richmond on Friday, ESPN2 will televise qualifying at 4 p.m.

Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick; analysts Carl Edwards, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Vince Welch.
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe (host)


NASCAR Now Schedule
ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Richmond International Raceway in the one-hour edition airing Saturday, April 27, at 2 p.m. ET. Studio host Mike Massaro will be joined from the track by ESPN NASCAR analyst Andy Petree and reporters Shannon Spake and Ryan McGee. The week’s schedule:

Date              Time           Show                 Host          Network
Tue.,  April 23       1 a.m.              NASCAR Now Nicole Briscoe ESPN2
Wed., April 24       1:30 a.m.        NASCAR Now Nicole Briscoe ESPN2
Thurs., April 25     1:30 a.m.        NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2
Fri.,   April 26        1 a.m.              NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2
Sat.,   April 27        2 p.m.             NASCAR Now Mike Massaro ESPN2

- ESPN Media Zone

MWR Teams to Honor Boston Marathon Victims at Kansas

The events of this week’s attack on the Boston Marathon hit especially close to Michael Waltrip Racing founder and co-owner Michael Waltrip. As the only NASCAR Sprint Cup driver or car owner to have run the Boston Marathon, Waltrip will honor the victims of the marathon tragedy by running special door numbers on his three NASCAR Sprint Cup entries this weekend at Kansas Speedway.

The door numbers on the No. 15, 55 and 56 MWR Toyota Camrys will replicate the 2013 Boston Marathon runner “bib” numbers, which are pinned on each of the nearly 30,000 runners. Waltrip posted a time of 4 hours, 33 minutes in the 2000 event.

“The news coming out of Boston this week was very personal to me,” said Waltrip. “When I ran the Boston Marathon in 2000, I remember thinking about what a privilege it was to be able to participate and all the hard work it took to be there. When you can see those international flags flying in Copley Square, you know you are about to complete your journey. I know the joy those runners were feeling at that moment when their worlds changed.

“It was a great moment of pride when they pinned the Boston Marathon bib on me, so I thought it would be great to pin bib numbers on our race cars this week in Kansas. I want to thank our sponsors, NAPA AUTO PARTS, 5-Hour ENERGY and Aaron’s, as well as NASCAR, for giving us permission to show our support. We just want the victims of the attack, the brave men and women who helped after the explosions and the city of Boston to know that we are thinking of them and we will support them anyway we can.”

- Michael Waltrip Racing News

NASCAR Chassis Selections - Kansas

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:

#5- Kasey Kahne - Kahne will drive the specially painted No. 5 Farmers Insurance 85th Anniversary Chevrolet SS this weekend at Kansas Speedway to celebrate the company’s 85th Anniversary and pay tribute to the very first Farmers insured automobile – a 1925 Cadillac Phaeton. Crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-793 for Sunday’s event at Kansas. This is a new chassis that has not been raced.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 team has prepared chassis No. 840 for Texas. The team ran this chassis in Vegas earlier this season.

#10-Danica Patrick - Chassis No. 10-781: This car debuted in March at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., where Patrick started 40th and finished 26th.

#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-736: This car debuted in 2012 in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup opener atChicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., where Stewart qualified 29th and rallied to lead three laps before finishing sixth. Chassis No. 14-736 made its second career start in October at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, and it had to rally again. After starting 32nd, a lap-16 run-in with Brad Keselowski necessitated numerous pit stops that dropped Stewart all the way to 36th in the 43-car field. But Stewart used Chassis No. 14-736 to claw his way back to a respectable 13th-place finish. The car made its third career start last November at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth where it rallied yet again, overcoming its 21st-place starting spot to finish fifth. With a 2013 Chevrolet SS body honed in the wind tunnel, Chassis No. 14-736 comes to Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., for its fourth career start.

#15- Clint Bowyer -  Primary chassis No. 758 finished 35th at California after a mechanical issue ended its day early. In 2012 backup chassis (No. 724) finished fourth at Bristol in March, fifth at Dover in June and finished seventh at Bristol in August. In 2013 it has tested at Charlotte in January and served as the backup at Las Vegas, California and Texas.

#16- Greg Biffle -  Primary Chassis RK-817 is the same car Biffle drove to a sixth-place finish in California. RK-817 made its debut in 2012 at Indy with a third-place finish.  After that 817 went on to win Michigan, then a 13th-place finish at Chicago, followed by a fourth-place run at Charlotte.  RK-817 was slated to run the season finale at Homestead, but an accident in practice took the winning chassis out of the race. The backup chassis RK-809 is the same car that won at Texas a year ago.  Since then it’s finished fourth in the Coca-Cola 600, fourth in Michigan, 16th at Dover and finished up 2012 with a 10th-place finish at Texas in November.  

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - The #17 Zest Ford Fusion Primary Chassis RK-820 is the same chassis that the No.17 team ran at Las Vegas finishing a respectable 18th. This chassis was also used in the Charlotte preseason test. Backup Chassis: RK-811 was a chassis for the No. 99 in 2012.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon will race Hendrick Motorsports chassis No. 24-785 this week in Kansas, the car finished 11th at Fontana earlier this year in it's only start. After a crash in qualifying, the No. 24  backup car for Gordon is 24-765. It's a brand new chassis.

#27- Paul Menard - This Week’s Pittsburgh Paints/Menards Chevrolet - Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 403 at Kansas Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS ran previously this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway finishing 10th.

#29- Kevin Harvick - This Week’s Bad Boy Buggies Chevrolet at Kansas Speedway - Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 373 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the STP 400. The No. 29 team utilized this Chevrolet once during the 2012 season, where Harvick picked up an eighth-place finish in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

#31- Jeff Burton - This week’s No. 31 American Ethanol Chevrolet SS at Kansas Speedway - Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 393 this weekend at Kansas Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized five times during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Auto Club Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas. Burton also piloted this machine to a 26th-place finish earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

#39- Ryan Newman - Chassis No. 39-733 made its debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2012, when Newman and his team overcame ill handling and used quick pit work to help engineer a run into the top-10. The crew turned the car around in just a couple of days and took the same chassis to Pocono Raceway, where it finished sixth. Two weeks later, the chassis was back on track at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, where it finished eighth. The chassis earned its first top-five finish at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. The 
chassis next raced three weeks later at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Newman qualified eighth but got bitten by an untimely caution flag, which pinned him a lap down to the leaders. He finished 21st. The chassis last saw action at Kansas Speedway in Kansas 
City in October 2012, when Newman was involved in an incident that forced him to retire from the event prematurely. Since then, Chassis No. 39-733 has been outfitted with a new front clip and a Chevrolet SS body, and will see its first laps of the season this weekend at Kansas.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 team has prepared chassis No. 848 for Kansas. This will be the first time the team runs the new chassis.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson will drive a new chassis, No. 782, at Kansas. Chassis No. 720 serves as the backup. No. 720 raced six times in 2012 winning the All Star race and Texas in November.

#55- Mark Martin -  Primary Chassis is #765.  Backup Chassis is #720.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - This weekend at Kansas, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-716. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a 10th-place finish in the 2012 season-finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 Aflac team will be bringing primary chassis RK-808 to Kansas.  This chassis last ran in Las Vegas where Edwards took the Aflac Ford to a fifth place finish. Back-up chassis is RK – 831.


- Reported in Team News/Press Releases