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.

Friday, Sept. 7:

10:30 a.m. – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), 6^th in points/3 wins – Media Center

11 a.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Best Buy Ford), 3^rd in points/1 win – Media Center

11:15 a.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet), 4^th in points/3 wins – Media Center

11:30 a.m. – Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 Diet Mountain Dew/National Guard Chevrolet), 2^nd in points/1 win – Media Center

11:50 a.m. – Elliott Sadler (No. 2 One Main Financial Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series) –Media Center

1:30 p.m. – Danica Patrick (No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series – Media Center

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

3:45 p.m. – Greg Biffle (No. 16 3M/Owens-Minor Ford), 1^st in points/2 wins - #16 hauler

3:55 p.m. - Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota), 7^th in points/4 wins - #11 hauler

4 p.m. – Martin Truex Jr. (56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota), 5^th in points/0 wins – Media Center

- NASCAR 

Richmond Driver Statistics

Not all teams announce their weekly race previews'. Here is a list of those teams that do reveal the information in the teams race preview: 

#1- Jamie McMurray - McMurray has made 19 NSCS starts at Richmond, earning three top-10 finishes and four top-15 finishes. He has completed 7107 laps out of a possible 7603 or 93.5 percent, and has led 19 laps. McMurray’s average start is 24.2 and his average finish is 23.2. His best start was second in September 2011.

#2- Brad Keselowski - Keselowski has one top ten finish in six starts at Richmond, a 9th place in April of 2012.

#5- Kasey Kahne - In 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, 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 at Richmond in April.  He has led 278 laps at the oval during the last seven years, ranking him eighth among active drivers during that time.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - Ambrose will make his eighth career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start at Richmond International Raceway. The Australian native has two top-10 finishes at Richmond. His best finish (fifth) and his best start (13th) came in 2010. He has completed 2,795 of 2,800 laps attempted at the Virginia track. Ambrose enters this weekend’s 300-mile race in 16th place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings

#10-David Reutimann - Reutimann has made 11 Cup starts at Richmond earning one pole and one top 10, a 9th place finish in September of 2008.

#14-Tony Stewart - Stewart has 27 starts at Richmond, earning 3 wins, 10 top 5's, 18 top 10's, with 2 DNF's. Stewarts last win at Richmond came in May of 2002.

#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer has started 13 races in the Cup Series at Richmond. He is credited with one win, one top 5 and and 7 DNF's. Bowyer scored his only win at the track in May of 2008.

#16- Greg Biffle - Biffle has an average starting position of 17.8 and average finish of 16.7 at Richmond. Biffle has one pole, two top 5's, five top 10's, one DNF, and an average finish of 16.7 at Richmond.

#17- Matt Kenseth - In 25 Cup starts at Richmond, Kenseth has completed 9,758 of 10,003 laps (97.6 percent) and led for 223 laps.  Kenseth has an average starting position of 21.8 and an average finishing position of 17.0 at Richmond. Kenseth has achieved one win, three top-five, and nine top-10 finishes at Richmond in the Cup series. Entering the weekend at Richmond, Kenseth is currently third in the NSCS driver point standings. 

#18- Kyle Busch - Kyle has 15 starts at Richmond earning one pole, four wins, 12 top 5's, 13 top 10's and no DNF's. Busch's most recent win came in April this year at the track.

#22- Sam Hornish Jr. - In six NASCAR Sprint Cup starts (from 2008 through 2010) at Richmond entering this weekend, Hornish scored two top-10 finishes with a sixth in the May 2009 race his best result to date. In four RIR NASCAR Nationwide Series races entering Friday night's Virginia 529 College Savings 250, he has one top-five finish and two top-10s. Hornish's fifth-place finish in April's most recent visit rates as his best tally.

#24- Jeff Gordon - In 39 starts at Richmond, Gordon has earned 5 poles to go along with 2 wins, 15 top 5's, 24 top 10's and an average finish of 14.692. 

#27- Paul Menard - In 11 starts at RIR, Menard has been running at the conclusion of each contested race and has completed 97.3 percent of his laps (4,291 of 4,410). He has an average starting position of 27.6 and an average finishing position of 27.5 with his best finish of 13th coming in this year’s April event. Menard posted his best start at the 0.75-mile tri-oval in his September 2010 visit to the Richmond, Va.-based facility when he took the green flag in the seventh position. He has recorded three top-five and five top-10 finishes and led for 160 laps at RIR in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition.

#29- Kevin Harvick - This weekend's event at Richmond International Raceway marks Harvick's 420th Sprint Cup Series career start. During the last 11 seasons, the 36-year-old driver has made 23 starts at the 0.75-mile tri-oval and has collected two wins (fall 2006 and fall 2011), six top-five and 14 top-10 finishes. Harvick maintains a 16.7 average starting position, an average finishing position of 11.8, has completed 98.7 percent (9,086 of 9,302) of laps contested and is credited with 942 laps led.

#31- Jeff Burton - Burton grew up two hours away from the Richmond, Va.-based facility in South Boston, Va. The Federated Auto Parts 400 marks Burton’s 37th start at the 0.75-mile facility and 645th-career Sprint Cup Series entry. He has amassed one win, nine top-five and 15 top-10 finishes along with one pole award at the historic track.

#36- Dave Blaney - Blaney has 23 Cup starts at Richmond. He has one top 5, two top 10's and five DNF's. His best finish of 4th was scored in September of 2006. 

#39- Ryan Newman - aThe Federated Auto Parts 400 will mark Newman’s 394th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 22nd career Sprint Cup start at Richmond. Newman has one win, one pole, five top-five finishes and 12 top-10s in 21 starts at Richmond.

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya - In his NSCS career, Montoya has made 11 starts at Richmond. He has three top-10 and five top-15 finishes, with his highest finish of sixth in May 2010. He has completed 4,224 laps out of a possible 4,410 laps, or 95.8 percent, and has led 28 laps. Montoya’s average start at Richmond is 14, while his average finish is 20.6. Montoya won the pole for the Richmond race in April 2011.

#43- Aric Almirola - Almirola has just one Sprint Cup start under his belt at Richmond - a 26th-place finish earlier this season.  But he's turned plenty of laps on the D-shaped oval, with five Nationwide Series starts to his credit.  In those five races, he earned one top-10 and three top-15 finishes.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson has scored 3 wins in 21 starts at Richmond. Johnson has 2 poles, 5 top 5's, 8 top 10's and 1 DNF at the track. Johnson's most recent win came in September of 2008. 

#51- Kurt Busch - Saturday’s Federated Auto Parts 400 marks Busch’s 425th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 24th Sprint Cup start at Richmond. Busch has one win, four top-five and seven top-10 finishes and has 348 laps led in 23 career Sprint Cup starts at Richmond. Busch’s average Richmond finish is 17.9. His average starting spot at Richmond is 19.9.

#55- Mark Martin - In 53 Sprint Cup starts at Richmond, Martin owns a victory (fall 1990) and five poles. He’s led 449 laps. Martin won the pole at his first Richmond race in 1981. Martin leads all active drivers at Richmond in top 5's(17), top 10's(29), lead lap finishes(34) and laps completed(20,454).

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - In 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Richmond International Raceway, Earnhardt has recorded three wins, nine top-five finishes and 11 top-10s. He has led a total of 427 laps and completed 99.1 percent of all laps he's attempted at the short track (10,308 laps of 10,403 total)

#99- Carl Edwards - Edwards has three top-five and eight top-10 finishes at Richmond. He has led 442 laps (fifth most of any active driver) and completed 96.5 percent (ninth most) of the laps he has attempted at the 0.75-mile D-shaped oval. His average starting position is 11.4 and his average finish is 14.8.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

Joey Logano to Join Penske Racing in 2013

Penske Racing announced today that Joey Logano will join the team in 2013. He will drive the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Logano, 22, a two-time Sprint Cup Series winner who is currently competing in his fourth full season, will begin a multi-year agreement with Penske Racing.

"I am very excited to join Penske Racing and begin the next phase of my career," said Logano. "I am looking forward to the opportunity as it will be an honor to drive for Roger Penske and race for wins and championships. I am also proud to represent Shell-Pennzoil as they are a respected global brand that does a great job of activating in the sport on and off the track."

In addition to his pair of victories, four poles and 16 top-five finishes in his young Cup Series career, Logano has also produced 15 wins and 19 poles in five seasons competing part time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

"Joey Logano is a very talented driver who has already achieved a lot of success at a young age," said Tim Cindric, President of Penske Racing. "Joey is a great fit for our organization and we look forward to building on his success as he takes his place behind the wheel of the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford."

With an impressive track record of winning from an early age, Logano has established himself as one of NASCAR's fastest rising stars. He started racing quarter midgets at the age of six and won his first championship just one year later. After rising up quickly through the racing ranks, Logano became the youngest winner in Nationwide Series history when he won at Kentucky Speedway at the age of 18 in 2008. Just one year later he won at New Hampshire to become the youngest winner ever in Cup Series competition. Logano went on to be named 2009 Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year, setting the stage for a bright future in the sport.

"We welcome Joey Logano to the Shell-Pennzoil team, and we know he will do a great job representing our brands and Penske Racing in 2013 and beyond," said Lisa Davis, president, Shell Lubricants Americas. "Joey is clearly a special talent on the race track, and we look forward to working with him off the track as well."

Logano will join Brad Keselowski, a three-time race winner and championship contender in 2012, and the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford team to form a potent combination for Penske Racing in the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

- Penske Racing News Press Release

Race to the Chase 2012 Clinch Scenarios

10 Drivers Have Locked Up Spots; Eight Others Still Eligible

Below are the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup clinch scenarios for Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond International Raceway, the final race before the Chase field is set. Nine drivers have clinch top-10 spots in the Chase: Greg Biffle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer and Kevin Harvick. Tony Stewart, currently 10th, has clinched at least a Wild Card spot.

Tony Stewart, on the strength of three wins, has already clinched at least a Wild Card Chase spot. Regardless of where any other driver finishes, he will clinch a top-10 position with a finish of 14th or better, 15th and at least one lap led or 16th and the most laps led. Only three drivers can supplant Stewart in the top 10: Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon.

Kasey Kahne is the only driver outside the top 10 with two wins. He has yet to clinch a Chase spot.

Kahne currently sits in the No. 1 Wild Card spot. A win would clinch a Chase berth. If Stewart stays in the top 10, Kahne clinches a Chase spot. If Stewart falls out of the top 10, Kahne will clinch a spot if a one-win driver outside the top 10 does not win. If Kyle Busch supplants Stewart in the top 10, and Jeff Gordon wins, Kahne clinches a spot by finishing 13th or better, 14th with at least one lap led or 15th with the most laps led. If Jeff Gordon supplants Stewart in the top 10, and Kyle Busch wins, Kahne clinches a spot by finishing second with the most laps led.  

There are six drivers outside the top 10 with one win: Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Marcos Ambrose, Ryan Newman and Joey Logano.

If one of those one-win drivers wins at Richmond AND Stewart remains in the top 10 (or Kasey Kahne supplants Stewart in the top 10), that one-win driver would have two wins, and clinch a Chase spot.

The following scenarios are if a one-win driver DOES NOT win at Richmond…

Kyle Busch: If Stewart remains in the top 10 or if Kahne supplants Stewart in the top 10, Busch will clinch a Chase spot by losing 12 or fewer points to Jeff Gordon AND by losing 40 or few points to Marcos Ambrose. If Gordon supplants Stewart in the top 10, Busch would clinch a Chase berth with a win AND finishing five points ahead of Kahne at Richmond.

Jeff Gordon: If Stewart remains in the top 10 or if Kahne supplants Stewart in the top 10, Gordon will clinch by finishing 13 points ahead of Busch at Richmond AND by losing 28 or fewer points to Ambrose AND by losing 37 or fewer points to Ryan Newman. If Busch supplants Stewart in the top 10, Gordon would clinch a Chase berth with a win AND finishing 18 points ahead of Kahne at Richmond.

Marcos Ambrose: If Stewart remains in the top 10 or if Kahne supplants Stewart in the top 10, Ambrose will clinch by finishing 41 points ahead of Busch AND 29 points ahead of Gordon AND by losing eight or fewer points to Newman AND by losing 41 or fewer points to Joey Logano.

Ryan Newman: Newman can only clinch a Chase berth with a win. If either Busch or Gordon supplant Stewart in the top 10, Newman will be eliminated.

Joey Logano: Logano can only clinch a Chase berth with a win. If either Busch or Gordon supplant Stewart in the top 10, Logano will be eliminated.

Two winless drivers outside the top 10 can clinch: Carl Edwards and Paul Menard.

Carl Edwards: Edwards needs to win AND Busch has to finish 24th or worse (with no laps led) at Richmond AND Gordon has to finish 12th or worse at Richmond. If Busch or Gordon supplant Tony Stewart in the top 10, Edwards will be eliminated.

Paul Menard: Menard needs to win AND Kyle Busch has to finish 34th or worse (with no laps led) AND Gordon has to finish 22nd or worst (with no laps led) at Richmond. If Busch or Gordon supplant Tony Stewart in the top 10, Menard will be eliminated.

All other drivers have been mathematically eliminated from Chase contention.

- NASCAR Statistics

Joe Gibbs Racing Signs Matt Kenseth

Joe Gibbs Racing announces today that 2003 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and two-time Daytona 500 winner, Matt Kenseth, has signed with the team to drive the No. 20 Toyota Camry with sponsorship from Dollar General and The Home Depot starting in 2013.

“We are thrilled to be able to officially announce Matt will join Joe Gibbs Racing starting at the conclusion of this season,” said Joe Gibbs, owner of Joe Gibbs Racing. “Everyone knows what he has accomplished in our sport as a champion and a consistent winner. He is well respected in the garage and his experience and knowledge will be extremely beneficial to our entire organization, especially Denny and Kyle.”

Kenseth is currently third in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings with a win, nine top-five and 14 top-ten finishes thus far this season. Over the course of his career he has won a total of 22 Cup races while earning 122 top-five and 223 top-ten finishes.

“I’m excited to announce what the next chapter in my career will be,” said Kenseth. “I remain totally committed to this season and working with my current team toward a championship and having this settled will only help my focus. JGR is an impressive organization with tremendous leadership and strong support from sponsors like Dollar General and The Home Depot. I’m very fortunate to have the opportunity to move from one great situation into another starting in 2013.”

A Wisconsin native, Kenseth started his racing career at the age of 16 and was an instant success winning his first feature race in just his third outing. By the age of 19 he was winning races across the state of Wisconsin and in 1994 he would become the youngest driver to win the Slinger Nationals, one of the most prestigious short track races in the country. From there he would successfully move through the ranks of the NASCAR All-Pro Series (1995), USAR Pro Cup Series (1996) and American Speed Association (1997).

He would make his debut in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1997 and run his first full season in the Series in 1998. He has 248 career Nationwide Series starts with 26 wins, 118 top-five, and 168 top-ten finishes. 1998 would also mark his Cup Series debut, but Kenseth would not run his first full season until 2000 when he would also win his first race on the premier level of the sport and go on to earn Rookie of the Year honors.

Kenseth would win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship in 2003 with an impressive season that included one win, 11 top-five and a career-high 25 top-ten finishes. He took the points lead following the fourth week of the season and held it over the next 33 weeks en route to the Championship. He won The Daytona 500 in 2009 and repeated the feat again this past February.

Matt and his wife Katie live in the Charlotte area with their two daughters. His son Ross currently attends Clemson University and is racing competitively as well.

- Joe Gibbs Racing, Press Release

NASCAR This Week on ESPN and ABC

Chase Spots on Line as NASCAR Sprint Cup at Richmond in Prime Time
Spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup will be on the line as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races under the lights at the 3/4-mile Richmond International Raceway on Saturday night, Sept. 8. The 400-lap race is the final event before the beginning of the 10-race Chase that will determine the series champion. ABC will have a live telecast with NASCAR Countdown at 7 p.m. ET and the race’s green flag at 7:43 p.m. Friday night’s NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Richmond airs on ESPN, with NASCAR Countdown at 7 p.m. and the green flag at 7:43 p.m.  Also from Richmond, ESPN2 airs NASCAR Sprint Cup practice sessions on Friday at noon and 2:30 p.m., and qualifying at 5:30 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying airs on ESPN2 at 4 p.m. All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets with the WatchESPN app and WatchESPN.com.

Announcers:
Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick (Sprint Cup); Marty Reid (Nationwide Series); analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.
Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Dr. Jerry Punch, Shannon Spake, Vince Welch.
NASCAR Countdown (Sunday): Nicole Briscoe (host); Rusty Wallace, Ray Evernham, Brad Daugherty (analysts).

Chase for NASCAR Sprint Cup Preview Airs Friday
ESPN2 will preview the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in a 30-minute special program airing Friday, Sept. 7, at 2 p.m. ET. The program will air following ESPN2’s telecast of NASCAR Sprint Cup practice at Richmond International Raceway.
With one race remaining before the beginning of the Chase, NASCAR’s version of the playoffs, the program will examine the battle for the two wildcard spots in the Chase as well as the drivers who have already clinched spots in the 12-driver Chase.

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 weekend edition that airs Saturday, Sept. 8, at 9 a.m. ET. Host Mike Massaro will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven and reporters Marty Smith and Ryan McGee will check in from the track. Two half-hour programs will air Friday, Sept. 7, at 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. between practice and qualifying sessions that afternoon at Richmond. The schedule:

Date   Time  Show      Host         Network
Thu., Sept. 6 2 a.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Fri., Sept. 7 1 a.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Fri., Sept. 7 3:30 p.m.NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Fri., Sept. 7 5 p.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Sat., Sept. 8 9 a.m. NASCAR Now Mike Massaro  ESPN
Mon., Sept. 10 3 p.m. NASCAR Now Allen Bestwick ESPN

- ESPN Media Zone Press Release

Richmond International Raceway History and Notes

At Richmond International Raceway:

History
· Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was April 19, 1953.

· The spring 1964 race was run on a Tuesday night under temporary lighting.

· The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967.

· The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968.

· The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969.

· The track was re-measured to .542-mile for 1970.

· The track was rebuilt as a three-quarters-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race.

· The first race under permanent lights was Sept. 7, 1991.

· The first season with both races as night races was 1999.

Notebook
· There have been 112 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Richmond since the track opened in 1953.

· The current 400-lap race length was established on the .542-mile measurement in March 1976.

· Buck Baker won the pole in 1953.

· Lee Petty won the first race in April 1953.

· There have been 50 different pole winners, led by Bobby Allison and Richard Petty (eight).

· Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin lead all active drivers with five poles each.

· 47 different drivers have posted victories at Richmond, led by Richard Petty (13).

· Kyle Busch leads all active race winners with four.

· Petty Enterprises has won 15 races at Richmond, more than any other team. Hendrick Motorsports has the second most wins with 10.

· 63 of 112 races have been won from the top five starting positions, including 22 from the pole.

· The last driver to win from the pole was Kyle Busch on May 1, 2010.

· The furthest back in the field a race winner has started was 31st, by Clint Bowyer in the 2008 spring race.

· Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Kyle Busch (4.7), Denny Hamlin (7.3) are the only active drivers with an average finish in the top 10.

· Kyle Petty became the first third-generation NASCAR race winner when he won his first race at Richmond, on Feb. 23, 1986. Richard Petty posted his first Richmond victory in 1961 and Lee Petty won the very first Richmond race in 1953.

· Three of the last five races have had a margin of victory less than one second.

· Youngest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond International Raceway winner: Richard Petty (04/23/1961 – 23 years, 9 months, 21 days)

· Oldest NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Richmond International Raceway winner: Harry Gant (09/07/1991 – 51 years, 7 months, 28 days)

· Four drivers have come from outside the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup cut-off to make the Chase at Richmond:
- Jeremy Mayfield in 2004 made up a 55-point deficit

- Ryan Newman in 2005 made up a one-point deficit

- Kasey Kahne in 2006 made up a 30-point deficit

- Brian Vickers in 2009 made up a 20-point deficit

· Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin are the two drivers that clinched the Wild Card in 2011 to make the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Richmond International Raceway Data
Race #: 26 of 36 (09-08-12)
Track Size: 0.75-miles
Banking/Corners: 14 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees
Front stretch Length: 1,290 feet
Backstretch Length: 860 feet
Race Length: 400 laps / 300 miles

- NASCAR Statistics