NASCAR Chassis Selections - Dover

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 - Jamie McMurray will debut the Parade Magazine Chevrolet SS at the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks at Dover International Speedway. Parade Magazine is completely re-branding its print and digital assets, which are set to debut June 2 on the magazine and its website.

#2- Brad Keselowski - Primary Chassis: PRS-849. Last Raced - Texas (finished ninth).Backup Chassis: PRS-834. Last Raced: Backup at several races (not raced).

#5- Kasey Kahne - Crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-769 for Sunday’s race at Dover. Kahne has raced this car three times this season, notably reaching Victory Lane at Bristol on March 17. During those three starts, he has tallied outside pole positions at Phoenix and Bristol, while starting fourth at Richmond, Va.

#10-Danica Patrick - Chassis No. 10-579 was used by Ryan Newman during the 2010 and 2011 seasons but has since been completely overhauled and transformed into a Gen-6-style Chevrolet SS. This will mark the second race for Chassis 10-579 with Patrick behind the wheel as she used it in March at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Patrick started 41st and finished 28th at the .533-mile concrete oval. The GoDaddy team then tested Chassis 579 May 14-15 at Dover.

#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-722: This car debuted in June 2012 at Pocono Raceway as Stewart took Chassis No. 14-722 from its 22nd -place starting spot to finish third in the Pocono 400. It returned to Pocono in August for the series’ second visit to the quirky, 2.5-mile triangle where it had a similar outing, as Stewart rallied it from its 28th-place starting spot to finish fifth in the rain-shortened race. While Chassis No. 14-722 didn't race again in 2012, it was tested extensively – in the wind tunnel and on the track. It tested at Nashville Superspeedway Sept. 25-26 and at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City Oct. 17-18. With 2013 Chevrolet SS bodywork covering it, Chassis No. 14-722 returned to racing in March at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 500. After qualifying eighth and practicing well, Stewart declared he had the best car he’d had in years at Bristol. But just nine laps into the 500-lap race around the .533-mile oval, Stewart’s left-rear tire deflated. Stewart spun and impacted the SAFER Barrier on the outside of turn one with the left side of his race car. Stewart was OK, but his racecar was not. After lengthy repairs, Stewart returned to the track and finished 31st. Chassis No. 14-722 was rebuilt and saw track time at Dover during a test May 14-15. It returns to Dover this weekend where it will make its fourth career start and second of 2013.

#16- Greg Biffle - Primary Chassis RK-809 was the car Biffle won with at Texas in the spring of 2012.  Most recently the chassis finished 13th in Darlington. Backup Chassis: RK-822  Last ran Martinsville – finished 9th.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - Primary Chassis RK-820 is the same chassis that the No.17 team ran at Kansas and led 26 laps. The No. 17 Ford looked like the car to beat before an unlucky caution flag waved one lap after he pitted, leaving the rookie one lap down. The backup Chassis RK-811 was a chassis that the No. 99 ran numerous times in 2012.

#22- Joey Logano -  Primary Chassis: PRS-842. Last Raced: Bristol (finished 17th). Backup Chassis: PRS-836. Last Raced: Backup at several races (not raced)

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon will race primary chassis No. 24-712 at Dover. The car finished 34th at Bristol earlier this year. It also finished 26th at Fontana, fourth in spring at Texas, 35th at Darlington, 13th and second at Dover; fifth at Kentucky, third at Bristol and 10th at Kansas in 2012.

#27- Paul Menard - This Week's Libman/Menards Chevrolet ... Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 412 at Dover International Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was previously run this season at Bristol Motor Speedway and tested at Charlotte Motor Speedway and Darlington Raceway.

#29- Kevin Harvick - This Week's Jimmy John's Chevrolet SS at Dover International Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 383 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the FedEx 400 Benefiting Autism Speaks. The California native last piloted this Chevrolet at Darlington Raceway in May, collecting a fifth-place result.

#31- Jeff Burton - This Weekend's No. 31 Cheerios Chevrolet at Dover International Speedway ... Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 392 this weekend at Dover International Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized three times during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Kentucky Speedway and Dover. Burton also piloted this machine to a top-10 finish earlier this season at Phoenix International Raceway.

#39- Ryan Newman - Newman will pilot Chassis No. 39-761 at Dover International Speedway. Built new for 2013, Chassis 39-761 was wind-tunnel tested earlier this month, and will see its first laps of competition this weekend at Dover.

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - This weekend marks the fifth time Montoya has driven the No. 42 Energizer Chevy SS and the first time the paint scheme has raced at Dover International Speedway. In his previous four starts with the Energizer "Bunny"paint scheme, his best start and finish came at the 2010 fall Loudon race, fifth and 16th, respectively.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion team has prepared chassis No. 855, a brand new chassis, for Dover.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson will drive Hendrick Motorsports primary chassis No. 797, a new chassis, for the race at Dover this weekend.

#55- Mark Martin - Primary chassis for Dover is No. 774. Backup chassis is No. 720, neither have raced in 2013.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - Crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-745 this weekend at Dover. Earnhardt last raced this chassis to a ninth-place finish at Darlington Raceway in May.

#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 Subway Ford Fusion crew will roll out primary chassis RK–802 this weekend which last ran in Richmond where Edwards landed a sixth-place finish. Backup Chassis: RK–819 last ran at Martinsville where Edwards started 9th and finished 15th.                       

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Dover

Press Conference Schedule, Dover

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, May 31:

9:30 a.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet) - #10 hauler (team availability)

                                                                                                       

9:30 a.m. – Marcos Ambrose (No. 9 DEWALT/ACE/CMN Ford), Aric Almirola (No. 43 Smithfield Ford), 12^th in points (328),Richard Petty – Monster Monument (track/team availability)

9:45 a.m. – Kurt Busch (No. 78 Furniture Row Racing/Beauty Rest Chevrolet) - #78 hauler

10 a.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Dollar General Toyota), 3^rd in points (394)/3 wins – Media Center

10:15 a.m. – Clint Bowyer (No. 15 5-Hour Energy Toyota), 4^th in points (385) – #15 hauler (team availability)

10:20 a.m. – Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Jimmy John’s Chevrolet), 7^th in points (362)/2 wins – Media Center

12:45 p.m. – Martin Truex Jr. (No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota), 9^th in points (336) – Media Center

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

1:15 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 AARP Credit Cards from Chase Chevrolet), new paint scheme – Media Center

Post Qualifying – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford), 10^th in points (335), defending series champion, will be available at his car following his NSCS qualifying lap (NSCS qualifying begins at 3:15 p.m.)

Saturday, June 1:

9:15 a.m. – Autism Awareness Press Conference featuring 2012 Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award Winner Lorri Unumb,Artie Kempner, FOX Sports NASCAR Director & founding president of the Autism Society of Delaware, Jamie McMurray (No. 1 Parade Media Group Chevrolet) – Media Center

- NASCAR  

NASCAR Driver Satistics - FedEx 400 at Dover

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 will make his 21st career NSCS start at Dover International Speedway this weekend.  In his previous 20 starts at the Monster Mile, McMurray has accumulated one top-five, five top-10s and led 131 laps.  The driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet has an average start of 16.8 and an average finish of 18.0 His best start was fifth in 2008 and his best finish was second in 2006.  McMurray has zero DNFs and has completed 7,895 of 8004 laps (98.6%) at Dover. 

#2- Brad Keselowski - In 6 previous Cup races at Dover, Keselowski has 1 win, 1 top 5, 1 top 10 and no DNF's. He has led 16 laps and has an average start of 16.833 and an average finish of 14.333.

#5- Kasey Kahne - Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet SS, has one top-five finish, five top-10s and has led 88 laps in 18 Sprint Cup starts at Dover International Speedway. He earned his best finish of fourth at the track in October 2011 and crossed the line ninth in this race a year ago. Kahne has eight starts inside the top 10 at the one-mile concrete oval.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - Ambrose has made 9 starts at Dover earning 1 top 5, 3 top 10's and only 1 DNF.  His best finish was 3rd place scored in May of 2011. He has an average start of 22.556 and an average finish of  18.000.

#10-Danica Patrick - Patrick will be making only her 2nd Cup start at Dover. She finished 28th in the race last year in September after starting 38th.

#14-Tony Stewart - The FedEx 400 will mark Stewart’s 513th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 29th Sprint Cup start at Dover International Speedway. Stewart has two wins, three second-place finishes, 10 top-fives, 15 top-10's and has led a total of 1,072 laps in his 28 career Sprint Cup starts at Dover. His average start is 20.5, his average finish is 13.7 and he has a lap completion rate of 95.9 percent.

#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer will make his 15th start at Dover on Sunday. In 14 previous attempts Bowyer has one top-five (spring 2012) and seven top-10s. He has led 34 laps. On average he starts 18th and finishes 13th. Current streak: four consecutive top-10 finishes, including a top-five last June.

#16- Greg Biffle - In his 21 Sprint Cup career starts at Dover, Biffle has earned two wins, six top-five and 10 top-10 finishes.  Biffle has an average starting position of 11.7 at Dover, with an average finishing position of 12.4.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - In his only Cup start at Dover, Ricky started 17th and finished 12th in last years race in September.

#18- Kyle Busch - The FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks will mark Kyle Busch’s 306th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 17th Sprint Cup start at Dover International Speedway. Busch has two wins, seven top-fives, 10 top-10s, and has led a total of 750 laps in 16 career points-paying Sprint Cup starts at Dover. His average Dover finish is 13.9.

#20- Matt Kenseth - Kenseth has made 28 prior Cup starts at Dover. His accomplishments at the one mile oval include, 1 pole, 2 wins, 13 top 5's, 18 top 10's and only 4 DNF's. Matt's most recent win came in May, 2011. He has an average start of 16.143 and an average finish of 12.643. Kenseth has led 746 laps on the concrete oval.

#22- Joey Logano - Logano will make his 9th Cup start this weekend in Dover. In his 8 previous races he has 1 top 5, 4 top 10's and 1 DNF. His best finish at the track was a 3rd in September 2010. His average start at the track is 16.500 and average finish is 18.000.

#24- Jeff Gordon - In 40 starts at “The Monster Mile,” Gordon has four wins, four poles, 15 top-fives and 22 top-10′s. Jeff's last win at the track was in June of 2001. He has led 2292 laps and has an average start of 11.600 and an average finish of an even 12.00. Gordon has only had 5 DNF's in Cup races at Dover.

#27- Paul Menard - Menard has 11 starts at Dover International Speedway. His best start of third came in 2011 and best finish of seventh came in 2010. The Wisconsin native has completed 4,343 of 4,400 laps attempted (98.7 percent) at the Delaware track.

#29- Kevin Harvick -  Harvick will make his 25th Sprint Cup Series start at Dover International Speedway in the 400-lap event on Sunday afternoon. Dating back to 2001, the RCR veteran has collected three top-five and 10-top finishes, holds an average starting position of 20.2, average finishing position of 15.9, has completed 98.5 percent (9,461 of 9,604) laps contested and is credited with 144 laps led. Harvick's best finish of second came during this race in 2012.

#31- Jeff Burton - This weekend's 400-mile event marks Burton's 39th start at the one-mile facility and 668th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. Burton has garnered one win, eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the one-mile track and has led 136 laps.

#39- Ryan Newman - In 22 Sprint Cup starts at Dover, Newman has three wins, six top-five finishes and 11 top-10's. Additionally, the 35 year old from South Bend, Ind., has led 842 laps, has an average starting position of 9.5 and an average finish of 12.1 at the concrete oval.

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - Montoya will make his 13th start at Dover International Speedway this weekend.  In 12 starts at the “Monster Mile” the driver of the No. 42 Target Chevrolet SS has earned one top-five, two top-10's and led five laps.  His average start is 19.6, while his average finish is 23.6.  Montoya’s highest starting position is second (2007, 2009) and his best finish is fourth in 2009.

#43- Aric Almirola - Almirola is a winner at the one-mile concrete track, winning the truck race in 2010. Almirola showed speed in his two Sprint Cup starts at the ‘Monster Mile’ and finished sixth in his track debut last season in the spring race. Last fall, the Todd Parrott-led team had a strong car during the race, but untimely yellow flags marred the team laps down. 

#47- Bobby Labonte - Bobby Labonte made his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Dover International Speedway on June 3, 1991. The 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has one win, three pole awards, 11 top-five, 14 top-10 finishes and has led 148 laps in 41 starts at Dover International Speedway. Labonte has also won a NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Dover (5/31/97).

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Quick stats at Dover: Seven wins (June and September 2002, September 2005, June and September 2009, September 2010 and June 2012). Three poles (September 2009 and 2010, June 2011). 11 top-five finishes (50 percent) and 16 top-10s (72.7 percent) in 22 starts. Two DNFs (did not finish – June 2003 and 2004). Average start of 9.7 and average finish of 8.6. Completed 8,619 of 8,804 laps (97.9 percent) and led 2,318. Sprint Cup’s best driver rating (120.6 average of a possible 150 points). Sprint Cup’s best average running position (7.0). Sprint Cup’s best in fastest laps run (878). Sprint Cup’s most laps in the top-15 with 5,570 (87 percent). Sprint Cup’s best average green-flag speed – 143.988 mph.

#55- Mark Martin -  In 53 starts at Dover, Martin owns four victories (fall races in 1997, 1998 & 1999 plus the 2004 spring race.) He has 24 top-five finishes. He’s led 1,769 laps and won five poles. He owns the Dover track record of 132.719 mph set in September 1997.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - In 26 Cup starts at Dover International Speedway, Earnhardt has one win, five top-five finishes and eight top-10s. He has led 368 laps and completed 99 percent of all the laps he's attempted (10,305 of 10,404 total) at the Monster Mile.

#99- Carl Edwards - In 17 starts at the one-mile track, Edwards has one win, eight top-five and 12 top-10 finishes. Edwards scored his only Cup win there in Sept. ’07.  He has an average start of 15 and an average finish of 8.3.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

Goodyear Tire Fast Facts - Dover

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

Set limits:

Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 10 sets for the race;

Nationwide: 7 sets for the event

Number of Tires:

Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,200, Right-side -- 1,200;

Nationwide: Left-side 525, Right-side -- 525

Tire Codes:

Left-side -- D-4556; Right-side -- D-4440

Tire Circumference:

Left-side -- 87.4 in. (2,220 mm);

Right-side -- 88.4 in. (2,246 mm)

Technical Inspection Inflation:

Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;

Right Front -- 50 psi; Right Rear -- 47 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:

Left Front -- 23 psi; Left Rear -- 21 psi;

Right Front -- 49 psi; Right Rear -- 45 psi

Notes: While teams in all three NASCAR series in action at Dover this week will run the same right side tire code (D-4440), teams in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run a different left side code (D-4556) than those in the Camping World Truck Series. This is the same combination of left and right side tires that Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams ran at Dover last season. These teams have also run this right side tire code (D-4440) at Kentucky in 2011 and 2012. Dover is unique among NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, in that inner liners are required on all four tire positions. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

- Goodyear Racing News

Dover International Speedway History and Notes

At Dover International Speedway:

History

· The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969 – won by Richard Petty.
· The first two races at Dover were 300 miles. The race length was changed to 500 miles in 1971.
· The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
· The race length was changed to 400 miles beginning with the second race in 1997.
· The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.


Dover International Speedway Data
Season Race #: 13 of 36 (06-02-13)
Track Size: 1-mile
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 9 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 9 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,076 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,076 feet
Race Length: 400 laps / 400 miles


Notebook

· There have been 86 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover International Speedway, one race in 1969 and 1970, two races per year since 1971.

· 371 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Dover International Speedway; 268 in more than one.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Ricky Rudd leads the series in starts at Dover with 56. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 53 starts; followed by Terry Labonte with 52.

· David Pearson won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Dover in 1969 with a speed of 130.430 mph.

· 36 drivers have Coors Light Pole Awards at Dover, led by David Pearson with six. Mark Martin leads all active drivers in poles, with five, followed by Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman with four each.

· Eight drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Dover. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Dover with three; from 1973 to the spring race of 1974.

· Three active drivers have posted consecutive Coors Light poles at Dover: Mark Martin (fall 1988 and spring 1989), Bobby Labonte (fall 1996 and spring 1997) and Ryan Newman (fall 2005 and spring 2006).

· Youngest Dover pole winner: Jeff Gordon (6/4/1995 – 23 years, 10 months, 0 days).

· Oldest Dover pole winner: Mark Martin (6/1/2012 – 53 years, 4 months, 23 days).

· 34 different drivers have won at Dover International Speedway, led by Richard Petty, Bobby Allison and Jimmie Johnson with seven wins each.

· 12 drivers have posted consecutive wins at Dover International Speedway, including three consecutive by David Pearson (fall 1972 and 1973 sweep), Rusty Wallace (fall 1993 and 1994 sweep) and Jeff Gordon (fall 1995 and 1996 sweep).

· Youngest Dover winner: Kyle Busch (6/1/2008 – 23 years, 0 months, 30 days).

· Oldest Dover winner: Harry Gant (5/31/1992 – 52 years, 4 months, 21 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Dover in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 14: Jimmie Johnson (seven), Jeff Gordon (four), Geoff Bodine (one), Ken Schrader (one) and Ricky Rudd (one).

· Nine different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Dover; led by Chevrolet with 32 victories; followed by Ford with 25.

· 13 of the 86 (15.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover have been won from the pole position; the two most recent were Jimmie Johnson in 2009 and 2010.

· The second-place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (15) than any other starting position at Dover International Speedway.

· 28 of the 86 (32.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover have been won from the front row: 13 from the pole and 15 from second place.

· 68 of the 86 (79.0%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Four of the 86 (4.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Dover have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Dover was 37th, by Kyle Petty in the spring of 1995.

· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Dover with eight; followed by Dale Earnhardt with five.

· Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes at Dover with 24; followed by Dale Earnhardt with 19.

· Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Dover with 32; followed by Richard Petty and Ricky Rudd with 26 each.

· Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Dover with a 9.500.

· Carl Edwards leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Dover with an 8.294; Jimmie Johnson (8.636) is the only other active driver with an average finish in the top 10.

· 15 of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Dover International Speedway participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jimmie Johnson won at Dover in his first two appearances.

· Jeff Burton competed at Dover International Speedway 25 times before winning in the fall of 2006; the longest span of any the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners.

· Among the 16 active NSCS Dover winners, Jeff Burton (25), Kurt Busch (22), Mark Martin (22), Matt Kenseth (14), Bobby Labonte (13) and Ken Schrader (12) all made 10 or more attempts before their first win.

· Joe Nemechek leads the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Dover without visiting Victory Lane at 37; followed by Kevin Harvick with 24.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring, the closest margin of victory (MOV) in NSCS at Dover was the Sept. 25, 2005 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Kyle Busch with an MOV of 0.08 second.

· There has been one NASCAR Sprint Cup race resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Dover International Speedway: fall of 2005 - 400/404 (scheduled no. of laps/actual no. of laps).

· Not one of the 86 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Dover has been shortened due to weather conditions.

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Dover five times: fall of 1984, spring of 2001, fall of 2003, spring of 2005 and spring of 2011.

· Four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series active drivers have made their first career start at Dover: Bobby Labonte (6/3/91), Matt Kenseth (9/20/98), Kurt Busch (9/24/00) and David Ragan (9/24/06).

· Two active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light Pole Award at Dover International Speedway: Matt Kenseth (6/2/02) and Michael Waltrip (6/3/1991).

· One active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has posted his first career win at Dover International Speedway: Martin Truex Jr. (6/4/07).

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Dover with 2,318 in 22 starts.

· Two female drivers have competed at Dover International Speedway in the NASCAR Sprint Cup: Janet Guthrie and Danica Patrick.

NASCAR This Week on ESPN

NASCAR Nationwide Series at Dover on ESPN

The NASCAR Nationwide Series competes at Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Saturday, June 1, and ESPN will have a live telecast of the 200-mile race. NASCAR Countdown airs at 2 p.m. ET with the race’s green flag at 2:46 p.m. The race telecast is presented by Grid 2. Also from Dover, ESPN2 will televise qualifying earlier that day at 11 a.m. All NASCAR programming on ESPN networks is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. 

Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick; analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch, Shannon Spake.
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe (host); Ricky Craven, Brad Daugherty (analysts).


NASCAR Now Schedule
ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway in the one-hour edition airing Sunday, June 2, at 9 a.m. ET. Studio host Todd Grisham will be joined from the track by ESPN NASCAR analyst Brad Daugherty and reporters Jim Noble and Ryan McGee. All NASCAR programming on ESPN networks is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. The week’s schedule:

Date         Time          Show                   Host           Network
Tue., May 28  1:30 a.m.      NASCAR Now        Mike Massaro         ESPN2
Wed., May 29  2:30 a.m.     NASCAR Now        Mike Massaro         ESPN2
Thurs., May 30 1:30 a.m.    NASCAR Now        Mike Massaro         ESPN2
Fri., May 31  2 a.m.              NASCAR Now        Todd Grisham        ESPN2
Sun., June 2  9 a.m.              NASCAR Now       Todd Grisham        ESPN2

Unique Trophy For HISTORY 300 That Honors NASCAR’s Storied Past

Click to enlarge

When drivers take to the track for the NASCAR Nationwide Series HISTORY 300 on Saturday, May 25, they’ll be racing for more than just the bragging rights that come with winning at NASCAR’s home track. Rick Dale of HISTORY’s American Restoration has designed a one-of-a-kind trophy that will be awarded to the winner of the 300-mile race.

As last year’s Honorary Starter for the HISTORY 300, Dale awarded the trophy to the 2012 winner, Brad Keselowski, who mentioned that Dale should have designed the trophy as well. With Charlotte Motor Speedway’s blessing, Dale embraced the challenge and designed 2013’s HISTORY 300 trophy with a reverence for racing and its history.

"If winning isn’t enough motivation, drivers now have even more reason to put on a great show for fans at the HISTORY 300," said Marcus Smith, president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway. "The winner gets a unique trophy that not only pays tribute to the history of our great sport, but will also look great in any driver’s trophy case."

Click to enlarge

A 1940 Ford Coupe steering wheel, representing the beginning of stock car racing, forms the centerpiece of the trophy. Two gas pump nozzles from a 1936 North Carolina highway gas station, notoriously frequented by moonshine runners, provide the frame. A Custer Car drive gear completes the design, symbolizing the first go-kart a child builds when dreaming about becoming a race car driver.

Owner of Rick’s Restorations in Las Vegas, Nev., Dale is an expert when it comes to restoring any classic object to its original state. From a 1960s three-wheeled golf cart to an antique Hershey’s candy dispenser, Dale and his staff painstakingly restore objects from history’s past to precise original detail.

"As a fan of NASCAR and racing, I’m thrilled to put my own ‘American Restoration’ spin on this trophy for the HISTORY 300," said Dale. "I’m honored to be part of this exciting race for the second year in a row."

- NASCAR Media

NASCAR Chassis Selections - Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte

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 - The primary chassis for the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte is PRS-843, which last raced at Auto Club Speedway and finished 23rd. The backup chassis is PRS-847 which has never been raced but has been a backup at several races.

#5- Kasey Kahne -  Crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-793 for Sunday’s 600-mile event at Charlotte. Kahne drove this car to a second-place finish at Kansas Speedway in April.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 Dewalt Ford Fusion team prepared chassis No. 847 for the Coca-Cola 600. The team brought this chassis to Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season. Ambrose drove the chassis to a third starting spot but a late race incident relegated the team to a 19th-place finish.

#10-Danica Patrick - The GoDaddy Primary Chassis No. 10-794 is a new car that has not been on-track previously. It was tested in the wind tunnel May 1. 

#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-735: This car debuted in the 2012 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Stewart qualified 28th and rallied to score a top-10 finish. Chassis No. 14-735 made its second career start in October 2012 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. It was impressive as Stewart used it to overcome a 33rd-place starting spot, a botched pit stop, an incident with Jeff Burton and a lap-166 spin to finish fifth. The car made its third career start in the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. There, it rallied to a top-20 finish after starting 35th and dealing with handling issues throughout the 267-lap race. Stewart’s milestone 500th career Sprint Cup start also came at Homestead in Chassis No. 14-735. This weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 will mark the car’s fourth career start and first of 2013.

#15- Clint Bowyer - The  No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota Primary chassis No. 773 finished 18th in the Sprint All-Star Race. Backup chassis No. 724 served backup duty at Las Vegas, Fontana, Texas, Kansas, Darlington and the Sprint All-Star Race, but has yet to see the track this season.

#16- Greg Biffle - The  No. 16 Fastenal Ford Fusion Primary Chassis, RK-849 was brand new when it hit the track in Texas and went on to earn Biffle’s one top-five finish so far this season. The teams Backup Chassis, RK-803  Last ran Bristol – finished 11th. The No. 16 is part of a three-car tribute with the No. 17 and No. 99 to honor military service men and women this Memorial Day weekend.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - The No. 17 Fastenal Ford Fusion  primary chassis RK-827 is the same chassis that the No.17 team ran in Texas cutting a left rear tire early in the race resulting in a 40th-place finish. The backup Chassis RK-791 was a chassis that the No. 99 ran numerous times in 2012.

#22- Joey Logano - The primary chassis for the Coca Cola 600 race at Charlotte is PRS-854 which is a brand new chassis. Backup Chassis is PRS-844, which has been a backup in a few races, but has not raced.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon will race Hendrick Motorsports chassis No. 24-785 in the Coca Cola 600. The car finished 11th at Fontana earlier this year.

#27- Paul Menard - This Week's Serta/Menards Chevrolet ... Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 418 in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS raced at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this season. 

#29- Kevin Harvick - This Week's Budweiser Folds of Honor Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 425 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the Coca-Cola 600. This Chevrolet is new to the No. 29 team lineup and will make its first competitive laps this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

#31- Jeff Burton - This Weekend's Cheerios Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway ... Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 372 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized earlier this season at Bristol Motor Speedway.

#39- Ryan Newman - Newman will pilot Chassis No. 39-748 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600. This chassis debuted at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth last November, when Newman was able to overcome his starting position of 36th and a loose right-front wheel that dropped him from the top-10 to 25th with just 110 laps remaining to record a 12th-place finish. Since then, Chassis No. 39-748 was outfitted with a new front clip and a Chevrolet SS body, and saw its first laps of the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. There, Newman overcame a late-race pit road speeding penalty to finish 10th. Most recently, Newman raced this Chevrolet SS to another 10th-place finish at Texas last month.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 U.S. Air Force Ford Fusion team has prepared chassis No. 848 for the Coca-Cola 600. Almirola drove the chassis at Kansas Speedway in April where he started eighth and finished sixth.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson and the #48 team will race HMS chassis No. 799, a new chassis, for the Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte. Chassis No. 720 serves as the backup.

#55- Mark Martin - The No. 55 and all MWR Toyotas will carry special “NASCAR: An American Salute” paint Scheme on Sunday at Charlotte. Martin's primary chassis, No. 765 finished 14th at Texas with Martin behind wheel. Backup chassis No. 720 has not raced.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - This weekend at Charlotte, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-726. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis in April at Texas Motor Speedway, where he was the second-fastest Chevrolet SS to qualify. He started the event sixth.

#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 Fastenal Blue Team will roll out primary chassis RK  821 which ran last weekend at the All- Star race, where Edwards started from the pole. The Back Up Chassis: RK  826 was the backup at Texas. Fastenal returns to the track with a three car lineup, sponsoring the No. 16, 17 and 99 Ford’s in a special patriotic paint scheme, known as the Fastenal Tribute Cars.            

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

2014 NASCAR Hall Of Fame Class Announced

Flock, Ingram, Jarrett, Petty and Roberts Comprise List Of New Inductees

NASCAR announced today the inductees who will comprise the 2014 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The five-person group – the fifth in NASCAR Hall of Fame history – consists of Tim Flock, Jack Ingram, Dale Jarrett, Maurice Petty and Fireball Roberts. Next year’s Induction Day is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, broadcast on Fox Sports 1 from Charlotte, N.C.

The 54-member NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met today in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C., to vote on the induction class of 2014. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France made the announcement this evening in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s “Great Hall.”

Next year’s class was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, which included representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders and a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com – which counted for the 55th and final vote. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

Voting for next year’s class was as follows: Tim Flock (76%), Maurice Petty (67%), Dale Jarrett (56%), Jack Ingram (53%) and Fireball Roberts (51%).

The next top vote getters were Jerry Cook, Joe Weatherly and Wendell Scott.

Results for the NASCAR.com Fan Vote, in alphabetical order, were Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Dale Jarrett, Benny Parsons and Fireball Roberts.

The five inductees came from a group of 25 nominees that included:

Red Byron, Richard Childress, Jerry Cook, H. Clay Earles, Tim Flock, Ray Fox, Anne Bledsoe France, Rick Hendrick, Jack Ingram, Bobby Isaac, Dale Jarrett, Fred Lorenzen, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, Maurice Petty, Larry Phillips, Les Richter, Fireball Roberts, T. Wayne Robertson, Wendell Scott, Ralph Seagraves, O. Bruton Smith, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly and Rex White.

Class of 2014 Inductees:

Tim Flock

A two-time NASCAR premier series champion, Flock was one of the sport’s first dominant drivers. In 187 starts, Flock had 39 victories, a total that still ranks 18th on the all-time wins list. Flock won his first series title in 1952 while driving Ted Chester’s Hudson Hornet, and his second in 1955 driving Carl Kiekhaefer’s Chrysler. He dominated that season, posting 18 wins, 32 top fives and 18 poles in 39 races. Flock’s 18 wins stood as a single-season victory record until Richard Petty surpassed it with 27 wins in 1967.

Jack Ingram

The NASCAR Nationwide Series has had a variety of incarnations through the years but when considered collectively, an argument can be made that Jack Ingram is the series’ all-time greatest driver. Before the formation of the series, Ingram won three consecutive championships, from 1972-74, in its precursor – the Late Model Sportsman Division. When the NASCAR Busch Series was formed, he won the inaugural title in 1982 and again in ’85. In his 10 years of competition in what was called the NASCAR Busch Series, Ingram had 31 wins, a record that stood until Mark Martin broke it in 1997. All but two of Ingram’s 31 wins came on short tracks.

Dale Jarrett

Dale Jarrett personified big-stage performances. A three-time Daytona 500 winner and two-time winner of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jarrett excelled under NASCAR’s brightest spotlights. His 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories – 21st all-time – also include the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jarrett won the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, and recorded six additional top-five championship finishes. With father Ned, the Jarretts are only the second father-son combination with NASCAR premier series championships after NASCAR Hall of Famers Lee and Richard Petty. Ned Jarrett was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May 2011. Ned and Dale Jarrett become the third father-son duo selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, following Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr., and Lee and Richard Petty.

Maurice Petty

The chief engine builder at Petty Enterprises, Maurice Petty becomes the fourth member of the dynasty to be chosen for membership in the NASCAR Hall of Fame – following his older brother Richard, father Lee and his cousin Dale Inman. The man simply called “Chief” supplied the horsepower that propelled Richard Petty to a majority of his record 200 NASCAR victories, plus his seven NASCAR premier series championships and seven Daytona 500 victories. Lee Petty, Buddy Baker, Jim Paschal and Pete Hamilton were also among those who won with his engines. Petty had a brief driving career – 26 premier series races with seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes between 1960 and 1964 – but was satisfied to work behind the scenes as one of the top engine builders ever seen in the sport.

Fireball Roberts

Glenn Roberts, who got his legendary nickname from his days as a hard-throwing pitcher in high school, is perhaps the greatest driver never to win a NASCAR title. He was arguably stock car racing’s first superstar, an immensely popular prototype for some of today’s competitors who are stars on and off the track. During his career he often came up big in the biggest events, winning the Daytona 500 in 1962 and the Southern 500 in 1958 and ’63. Overall, he won seven races at Daytona International Speedway, starting with the Firecracker 250 in the summer of 1959 – the year the speedway opened.

NASCAR Driver Statistics - Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte

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 returns to Charlotte Motor Speedway, the site of his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory, where he has made 21 starts in NSCS competition.  In those 21 starts, the driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet SS has accumulated two wins (2002, 2010), five top-five, eight top-10 finishes and led 238 laps.  He has an average start and finish position of 23.1 and 17.6, respectively.  His best start at the 1.5-mile oval was fifth in 2002.

#2- Brad Keselowski - Keselowski has 7 previous Cup points paying starts at Charlotte, earning 1 pole, 1 top 5, and 1 top 10. He finished 5th in May of 2012 and has led 149 laps at the track.

#5- Kasey Kahne -  Nearly every statistical category at Charlotte Motor Speedway ranks as a personal best for Kahne, who has competed in 18 Cup events at the 1.5-mile oval. Kahne’s four wins are a personal best, while his seven top-five finishes are tied for first with Michigan International Speedway and his 10 top-10s are tied for first with Fontana, Calif. Kahne has completed 96.8 percent of the laps he has attempted at Charlotte and has led a personal-best 807 laps at the track. His 12.4 average finish at Charlotte ranks as his second-best among current tracks.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - Ambrose has eight starts in point races at Charlotte. He tallied two top-10 finishes and a best finish of fifth with Richard Petty Motorsports in 2011. In last season’s Coca-Cola 600, a broken wheel hub ended the team’s hopes of finishing up front.

#10-Danica Patrick - The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will mark Danica Patrick’s 22nd career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and her second at Charlotte. She started 40th and finished 30th in May 2012 at the 1.5-mile oval. Patrick competed in three NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Charlotte and scored two top-15 finishes. Last week, she started seventh and finished ninth in the non-points Sprint Showdown. Patrick then won the Sprint Fan Vote, which made her eligible for the Sprint All Star Race. She started 22nd and finished 20th in the 90-lap exhibition race. 

#11- Denny Hamlin - Hamlin will make his 16th-career Cup Series points race start at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600. Hamlin finished second in both races at Charlotte in 2012, leading 13 laps last Memorial Day weekend for the runner-up result to Kasey Kahne. He started eighth and steadily moved up the running order in the 400-lap race that ran green for long stretches. In the fall Chase race at Charlotte, Hamlin qualified ninth and quickly showed the strength of the FedEx Toyota, leading 36 laps before taking the checkered flag just 0.417 seconds behind winner Clint Bowyer. Hamlin has led at least one lap in 10 of his 15 Charlotte races, and has recorded eight top-10 finishes, including the last five in a row.

#14-Tony Stewart - Stewart has one win, four top-threes, six top-fives, 12 top-10's and has led a total of 695 laps in his 28 point-paying Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte. His average start is 15.8, his average finish is 14.0 and he has a lap completion rate of 95.8 percent.

#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer will make his eighth start in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday. In seven previous attempts Bowyer has one top-10 (seventh in 2010) and three top-15s. He led three laps in 2010. On average he starts 21st and finishes 21st.

#16- Greg Biffle - Biffle has 20 starts in the Cup series at Charlotte, but a win has eluded him.  He has finished in the top-five five times and has eight top-10 finishes.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr -  Stenhouse Jr. got his first Sprint Cup start at Charlotte in 2011 in the famed No. 21 finishing an impressive 11th-place. He also raced in the fall race of 2012, finishing 35th with a blown engine.  The two-time Nationwide champion earned one of the two transfer spots in the Sprint Showdown to qualify for his first All-Star race last weekend. He finished 16th in the 90-lap showdown.

#18- Kyle Busch - The Coca-Cola 600 will mark Kyle Busch’s 305th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 19th points-paying Sprint Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch has eight top-fives, 11 top-10's, and has led a total of 793 laps in 18 career points-paying Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte. His average Charlotte finish is 15.3.

#20- Matt Kenseth -  In 27 Sprint Cup Series career starts at Charlotte, Matt Kenseth has an average finish of 14.2, has completed 9,038 of 9,586 (94.3 percent) career laps, and has led for a total of 455 laps.  Kenseth has earned two wins, seven top-five, and 14 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile track.

#22- Joey Logano - Logano has made 8 starts at Charlotte in points paying Cup races. He has 2 top 5's and 3 top 10's with a best finish of 3rd scored in may of 2011. His average start position is14.500 and average finish is 10.125 with 3 laps led in his career.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Charlotte Motor Speedway has been the site of several "firsts" for Gordon, including his first pole position (October 1993) and first victory (May 1994). Overall, the four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion has five wins, eight pole positions, 16 top-five finishes and 21 top-10s at the 1.5-mile track. 

#27- Paul Menard -  Menard has 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His best start of fifth and best finish of eighth both came in 2010. The Wisconsin native has completed 4,044 of 4,246 laps attempted (95.5 percent) at the 1.5-mile track.

#29- Kevin Harvick - This Sunday's race marks Harvick's 24th points-paying, Sprint Cup Series start at the Concord, N.C.-based facility. In addition to his 2011 Coca-Cola 600 victory, the California native has collected two top-five and seven top-10 finishes, completed 97.3 percent of the laps contested and led six laps.

#31- Jeff Burton - The 2013 Coca-Cola 600 marks Burton's 39th start at the 1.5-mile facility and his 667th-career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Burton notched his last Sprint Cup Series victory at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October 2008. Throughout the years, he has amassed three wins, eight top-five and 15 top-10 finishes at the track, leading 435 laps. 

#39- Ryan Newman - In 24 Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte, Newman has four top-five finishes and eight top-10's. Additionally, the 35-year-old from South Bend, Ind., has led 273 laps, has an average starting position of 6.9 and an average finish of 20.1 at the 1.5-mile speedway.

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya -  Montoya looks to make his 13th start this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  In his previous 12 starts he has led five laps and earned one top-10.  His best start and finish came in 2009 when he started ninth and came to the checkered in eighth.  The driver of the No. 42 Chevrolet has an average starting position of 26.2 and an average finishing position of 23.8 at the 1.5-mile oval.

#43- Aric Almirola - Aric Almirola and the No. 43 Air Force Ford team look to repeat last year’s speed in the Coca-Cola 600. Almirola and team won the pole in last year’s 600-mile event and finished 16th in his Charlotte Motor Speedway debut. In just his second start at the 1.5-mile track, Almirola started 15th and drove to the 12th position.

#47- Bobby Labonte - Bobby Labonte’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career win occurred during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 28, 1995. His second win at Charlotte, took place on October 8, 2000. He has six runner-up finishes. In 40 starts at the 1.5-mile home track, he has two victories, three poles, 12 top-five and 17 top-10 finishes and has led 807 laps. His average start is 15.675 and his average finish is 15.500.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Six wins (May 2003, 2004 season sweep, October 2005 and 2009) in 23 starts. Three poles (May 2002 and 2004, October 2009). 11 top-five finishes (47.8 percent) and 15 top-10s (65.2 percent) in 23 starts. Average start of 7.3. Average finish of 11.4. Four DNFs (did not finish) – October 2001, May 2008, May and October 2011.
7,865 of 8,118 laps completed (96.9 percent) and 1,439 laps led. Sprint Cup’s best driver rating (111.7 average of a possible 150 points). 

#55- Mark Martin -  In 56 starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Martin owns four victories (600 race in 2002 and fall races in 1992,1995 & 2002) and 18 top-five finishes. He’s led 1,185 laps and won poles at both races in 1991. Martin owns 40 Sprint Cup, 49 Nationwide and seven Camping World Truck Series victories. He’s led 12,856 laps in Sprint Cup competition. Martin has started 862 Sprint Cup races, 236 Nationwide races and 25 truck events. He also owns 13 IROC wins in 47 starts.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - In 26 Cup starts at Charlotte, Earnhardt has recorded one pole position, five top-five finishes and 11 top-10's. He has completed 95.1 percent of all laps he's attempted (8,865 laps of 9,318 total) at the 1.5-mile oval. The 38-year-old driver has led a total of 324 laps there.

#99- Carl Edwards - Edwards enters the Coca-Cola 600 second in the series points’ standings and will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway for his 17th Sprint Cup career start. In his previous starts, Edwards has five top-five and ten top-10 finishes. His average start is 18.2 and average finish is 12.0. 

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases