Jimmie Johnson Can Clinch His 10th Chase Berth At The Glen

It’s that time of the year. One championship contender – Jimmie Johnson – can clinch a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup on Sunday at Watkins Glen International.

The five-time Sprint Cup champion is the sole driver holding a clinch scenario this weekend. Johnson has to leave The Glen with a 193-point lead over the 11th place driver. Currently, he holds a 178-point lead over 11th, which is occupied by Tony Stewart.

Stewart will miss Sunday’s race after breaking a leg in a sprint car race on Monday night, and will be replaced by Max Papis in his No. 14 Chevrolet on Sunday. Reigning Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski is 12th, 180 points behind Johnson. Johnson is the only competitor to have qualified for the Chase field in all nine seasons.

A win at The Glen will guarantee Johnson at least a Wild Card entry into this year’s post season. He has won four times already – as has Matt Kenseth. But mathematically – and officially – speaking, Kenseth cannot lock up a Wild Card spot just yet. There are other Johnson finishes that would give the five-time champion at least a Wild Card clinch depending on finishes from other competitors.

While Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards and Kevin Harvick, who rank second through fourth, appear to be “locks” for a Chase appearance, each is several races away from an official clinch. Bowyer leads 11th by 101 points; Edwards has 94 points in hand and Harvick is 81 ahead of 11th.

Harvick has two victories and Edwards one. Harvick won at The Glen in 2006. While Bowyer has yet to visit Victory Lane in 2013, the driver of the No. 15 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota has a Sprint Cup road racing win – at Sonoma in 2012. He finished fourth in last year’s Cheez-It 355.

Veteran Max Papis To Drive No. 14 Chevrolet This Weekend at Watkins Glen

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart underwent surgery on his right leg early Tuesday morning, Aug. 6 after suffering a broken tibia and fibula in a sprint car crash Monday night, Aug. 5 at Southern Iowa Speedway in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Stewart did not sustain any other injuries.

The surgery served as a preliminary procedure to stabilize and clean the Grade 2 injury. A second surgery will be necessary. In the meantime, Stewart will remain hospitalized for observation.

Stewart was leading the 30-lap American Sprint Car Series feature when a lapped car spun in front of him. Stewart hit the lapped car and flipped.

Stewart’s injury will prevent him from competing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event Aug. 9-11 at Watkins Glen International. Veteran racer Max Papis will serve as the interim driver for Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet at Watkins Glen. Papis tested the No. 14 Chevrolet on July 30 at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga.

Papis has made 35 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, with a career-best finish of eighth in 2009 at Watkins Glen. He has competed in Formula One, Indy car, sports cars and other NASCAR divisions, including the Nationwide Series, Camping World Truck Series and Canadian Tire Series. He is a three-time CART race winner and a seven-time winner in the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series, which includes a Daytona Prototype victory at Watkins Glen in the 2004 Sahlen’s Sports Car Grand Prix. Papis won the 2004 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series championship with co-driver Scott Pruett and is a two-time winner of the prestigious Rolex 24 Hours At Daytona (2000 and 2002). Papis, 43, is from Como, Italy, and is a political science graduate of Milan University. He resides in Mooresville, N.C., with his wife, Tatiana, and sons, Marco and Matteo.

Watkins Glen History and Notes

At Watkins Glen International:

History
· After several events were held on the streets of Watkins Glen, a permanent facility was opened in 1956.

· The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was in 1957, won by Buck Baker (83.064 mph, 8/4/57).

· After a six-year absence, NASCAR returned to The Glen in 1964 and 1965.

· After a 21-year absence, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returned to The Glen, and has run one race a year there since 1986.

Notebook
· There have been 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen International, one race per season.

· The first NSCS race at Watkins Glen was scheduled for 101.2-miles in 1957, the second race was 161.7-miles (1964) and the third race was 151.8-miles (1965). Every race since has been scheduled for 220.5-miles.

· 245 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Watkins Glen; 151 in more than one.

· Mark Martin, Michael Waltrip and Terry Labonte lead the series in starts at Watkins Glen with 22 each.

· Buddy Baker won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Watkins Glen in 1957 with a speed of 87.071 mph.

· 18 drivers have Coors Light poles at Watkins Glen, led by NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt and Mark Martin with three each.

· Mark Martin is the only NASCAR Sprint Cup driver to post consecutive Coors Light poles at Watkins Glen (three) – 1993, 1994, and 1995.

· Youngest Watkins Glen pole winner: Kyle Busch (8/15/2011 – 26 years, 3 months, 13 days).

· Oldest Watkins Glen pole winner: Morgan Shepherd (8/13/1989 – 47 years, 10 months, 1 day).

· 18 different drivers have won at Watkins Glen International in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, led by Tony Stewart with five wins.

· Four drivers have posted consecutive wins at Watkins Glen, including three consecutive by Mark Martin (1993, ’94, ‘95) and Jeff Gordon (1997, ’98, ‘99). The other two drivers to win consecutive races at Watkins Glen are Tony Stewart (2004, ’05) and Marcos Ambrose (2011, ’12).

· Youngest Watkins Glen winner: Kyle Busch (8/10/2008 – 23 years, 3 months, 8 days).

· Oldest Watkins Glen winner: Geoff Bodine (8/11/1996 – 47 years, 3 months, 24 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Watkins Glen in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with six: Jeff Gordon (four), Tim Richmond (one) and Ricky Rudd (one).

· Six different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Watkins Glen; led by Chevrolet with 16 victories; followed by Ford with seven.

· Nine of the 30 (30%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Watkins Glen have been won from the Coors Light pole; the most recent was Kyle Busch in 2008.

· The Coors Light pole position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (nine) than any other starting position at Watkins Glen.

· 11 of the 30 (36.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen have been won from the front row: nine from the pole and two from second-place.

· 22 of the 30 (73.3%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· None of the NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Watkins Glen was 18th, by Steve Park in the 2000.

· Mark Martin leads the series in runner-up finishes at Watkins Glen with three.

· Mark Martin leads the series in top-five finishes at Watkins Glen with 12; followed by Ricky Rudd with eight.

· Mark Martin leads the series in top-10 finishes at Watkins Glen with 16; followed by Ricky Rudd, Rusty Wallace and Tony Stewart with 10 each.

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Watkins Glen with a 6.182.

· Marcos Ambrose leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Watkins Glen with a 2.000.

· All seven of the active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners at Watkins Glen participated in at least one or more races before visiting Victory Lane.

· Mark Martin (1993) and Kevin Harvick (2006) competed at Watkins Glen five times each before winning; the longest span of any the seven active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series winners.

· Terry Labonte and Michael Waltrip lead the series among active drivers with the most NASCAR Sprint Cup starts at Watkins Glen without visiting Victory Lane at 22 each.

· Jeff Gordon leads the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in road course wins with nine (Sonoma, five; Watkins Glen, four); Tony Stewart has the second most road course wins all-time with seven (Watkins Glen, five; Sonoma, two).

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison holds the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series record for the most wins (six) at a single road course track - Riverside International Raceway.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen was the 2001 race won by Jeff Gordon over Jeff Burton with a MOV of 0.172 second.

· There have been two NASCAR Sprint Cup races resulting with green-white-checkered finishes at Watkins Glen (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): 2005 (90/92) and 2011 (90/92).

· Only one of the 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Watkins Glen has been shortened due to weather conditions - the 1992 race – only 51 of the scheduled 90 laps were completed. The Aug. 14, 2011 race was the only NSCS race at Watkins Glen that was postponed to another date due to weather (8/15/2011).

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Watkins Glen six times; most recently in 2008.

· Todd Bodine (8/10/1997) posted his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Watkins Glen.

· One active NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver has posted his first career win at Watkins Glen: Marcos Ambrose (08/15/11).

· Jeff Gordon leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Watkins Glen with 233 laps led in 20 starts.

· Danica Patrick will attempt to join Patty Moise as the second female NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver to compete at Watkins Glen.

Watkins Glen International Data
Season Race #: 22 of 36 (08-11-13)
Track Size: 2.45-milesNumber of Turns: 7
Race Length: 90 laps / 220.5 miles

Top 12 Driver Rating at Watkins GleN
Tony Stewart............................120.4
Marcos Ambrose......................120.1
Juan Pablo Montoya................110.5
Kyle Busch............................... 110.2
Jimmie Johnson.......................102.0
Brad Keselowski.......................101.7
Carl Edwards............................94.0
AJ Allmendinger.......................92.4
Kurt Busch.................................90.7
Denny Hamlin............................89.6
Martin Truex Jr........................89.2
Kevin Harvick............................88.8
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (eight total) among active drivers at Watkins Glen International.

Qualifying/Race Data
2012 pole winner: Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 127.020 mph, 69.438 secs. 8-11-12

2012 race winner: Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 98.145 mph, (02:14:48), 8-12-12

Track qualifying record: Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 127.020 mph, 69.438 secs. 8-11-12

Track race record: Mark Martin, Ford, 103.030 mph, (02:11:54), 8-13-95

NASCAR This Week on ESPN and ABC

NASCAR Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series at Watkins Glen

The NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will go road course racing this weekend at Watkins Glen International. ESPN will have a live telecast of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on Sunday, Aug. 11, with NASCAR Countdown at noon and the race’s green flag at 1:18 p.m. ET. The NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, Aug. 10, airs on ABC at 2 p.m. with the green at 2:34 p.m. ESPN2 also will air qualifying sessions for both series on Saturday beginning with Nationwide qualifying at 9:30 a.m. All NASCAR programming on ESPN and ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. The Watkins Glen schedule:

    Date               Time                  Event                            Network
Saturday, Aug. 10  9:30 a.m. NASCAR Nationwide qualifying ESPN2

                                 11:30 a.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying ESPN2

                                 2 p.m. NASCAR Countdown ABC

                                 2:30 p.m. NASCAR Nationwide Series race ABC

Sunday, Aug. 11     Noon. NASCAR Countdown ESPN

                                1 p.m. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race ESPN

Announcers:

Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick (Sprint Cup) Marty Reid (Nationwide); analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.

Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Dr. Jerry Punch, Vince Welch.

NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe (host); Rusty Wallace; 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 Watkins Glen International in the one-hour edition airing Sunday, Aug. 11, at 9 a.m. ET. Host Shannon Spake will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven with reporters Marty Smith and Jim Noble at the track. All NASCAR programming on ESPN2 is also available on computers, smartphones and tablets through WatchESPN and the WatchESPN app. The week’s schedule:

Date          Time     Show                  Host             Network

Tue., Aug. 6 1 a.m.  NASCAR Now    Shannon Spake   ESPN2

Wed., Aug. 7 2 a.m. NASCAR Now    Shannon Spake   ESPN2

Thur., Aug.8 1 a.m.  NASCAR Now   Steve Weissman  ESPN2

Fri., Aug. 9 1 a.m.    NASCAR Now    Todd Grisham     ESPN2

Sun., Aug. 4 9 a.m.  NASCAR Now    Shannon Spake   ESPN2

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Post-Race Fast Facts and Results - GoBowling 400

Kasey Kahne won the GoBowling.com 400 , his 16th victory in 345 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is his second victory and ninth top-10 finish in 2013. His first win was at Bristol in March. This is his second victory and seventh top-10 finish in 20 races at Pocono Raceway. Jeff Gordon (second) posted his 29th top-10 finish in 42 races at Pocono Raceway. It is his ninth top-10 finish in 2013. Kurt Busch (third) posted his 14th top-10 finish in 25 races at Pocono Raceway.Jimmie Johnson leads the point standings by 77 points over Clint Bowyer.

Click for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Unofficial Race Results: Go Bowling Results

Click for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Unofficial Driver Points Points Report

Inspection is done for Cup at Pocono, no issues. Kahne and Logano cars and engines plus Gordon's engine going to R&D center.

NASCAR And FOX Sports Extend And Expand Agreement Announced In October

FOX Sports and NASCAR solidified their future together last October when they announced a multi-platform, multi-series media rights agreement through 2022. Today, less than 10 months later, the two organizations announced they have extended that agreement, which begins in 2015 and runs through 2024. In addition, FOX Sports has added exclusive rights to three additional NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events and the first 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series events of each season. FOX Sports secured exclusive rights to the entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season through 2022 last fall and that part of the agreement also has been extended through 2024.

Financial terms of the extended agreement were not disclosed. However, industry sources estimate that total new NASCAR TV deal is worth $8.2 billion over 10 years.

NASCAR’s media rights package for 2015 and beyond is now complete with FOX Sports holding rights to the first 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, first 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series races and entire NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season. NBC, which last broadcast NASCAR events in 2006, will televise the final 20 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, final 19 NASCAR Nationwide Series races and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events beginning in 2015.

In total, NASCAR will have the same number of NASCAR Sprint Cup races on network television – 16 – as it does in the current television package. FOX Sports will broadcast nine races and NBC will show seven.

FOX Sports began broadcasting live NASCAR races in 2001 and will launch its new all-sports network, FOX Sports 1, on Aug. 17 with a live broadcast of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race from Michigan International Speedway as the network’s first-ever live event. NASCAR will be an anchor property for FOX Sports 1 and has been a large part of the promotional efforts to launch the new network. This new agreement marks the return of the NASCAR Nationwide Series to FOX Sports, a series it broadcast as part of its original package beginning in 2001.
Summary of FOX Sports’ Exclusive Rights (2015-2024):

First 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races of each season, including the Daytona 500

Nine on FOX Sports and seven on FOX Sports 1

First 14 NASCAR Nationwide Series points races of each season

Fourteen races on FOX Sports 1

NASCAR Sprint Unlimited, Budweiser Duel and NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race

All NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races

NASCAR Chassis Selections - Pocono GoBowling 400

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-856 - Last Raced Pocono (finished 16th). Backup Chassis: PRS-838 - Last Raced: Darlington (finished 32nd).

#5- Kasey Kahne - For this weekend at Pocono, No. 5 Farmers Insurance crew chief Kenny Francis will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-779. Kahne has driven this car three times this season and averaged a 16.3 finish. He notably led 114 laps in this chassis in March en route to a runner-up result at Las Vegas and later scored an 11th-place finish one month later at Texas Motor Speedway. Most recently, he drove it at Pocono Raceway in June.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 Stanley Ford Fusion team has prepared chassis No. 842 for Sunday’s race, which the team raced at Pocono earlier this season.

#10-Danica Patrick - This week's #10 GoDaddy chassis Chassis No. 10-723 was tested in the wind tunnel before seeing its first on-track activity in April at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where Patrick started 42nd and finished 28th. The car was then tested by Patrick May 7-8 at Nashville Superspeedway and May 29-30 at Pocono Raceway. Patrick then used chassis No. 10-723 in the Party in the Poconos 400 at Pocono, where she started 30th and finished 29th. 

#14-Tony Stewart - This week's No. 14 Godaddy primary chassis No. 14-706 debuted in spectacular fashion in March 2012 at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., as Stewart took Chassis No. 14-706 from its ninth place starting spot to lead twice for 42 laps en route to the win in the rain-shortened race. Prior to Fontana, the car spent numerous hours in the wind tunnel. It is a clone to Chassis No. 14-640, which won round three of the 2012 season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Chassis No. 14-706’s second start, in April at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, was a bit quieter than its debut race. It started 23rd and gained 10 spots to finish 13th. Its third start came in the Sprint Cup Series’ longest race – the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. There, Stewart qualified 21st and finished 25th as Chassis No. 14-706 proved to be a handful throughout the 400-lap contest. The car redeemed itself in its fourth start in June 2012 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, where Stewart qualified eighth, led 18 laps and finished second. Chassis No. 14-706 sat idle until returning to Michigan in August 2012 for its fifth career start, but a broken valve spring within the engine relegated it to a 32nd-place finish. With 2013 Chevrolet SS bodywork covering it, Chassis No. 14-706 returned to work April 30-May 1 during a Goodyear tire test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It tested again May 29-30 at Pocono Raceway in preparation for its sixth career start in June at Pocono. After starting 19th when qualifying was rained out and the 43-car field was set by owner points, Stewart rallied to a strong fourth-place finish. Following the adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Chassis No. 14-706 returns to Pocono for this weekend’s GoBowling.com 400.

#15- Clint Bowyer - No. 15 Toyota Let’s Go Places Camry primary chassis No. 733 finished sixth at Phoenix and 15th at Pocono is 2013.  Backup chassis No. 727 served as a backup at Phoenix, Bristol, Richmond, Pocono and New Hampshire, but was not raced.

#16- Greg Biffle - No. 16 3M Ford Fusion primary chassis RK-862 is a brand new chassis. Backup chassis RK-822, last ran Martinsville – finished 9th.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - No. 17 Zest Ford Fusion primary chassis RK-832 is the same chassis that the No.17 team ran last time at Pocono finishing a decent 26th. The No. 17 team also raced RK-832 at Richmond finishing 16th. The backup Chassis RK-811 was a chassis that the No. 99 ran numerous times in 2012.

#22- Joey Logano - Primary Chassis: PRS-848 - Last Raced Indianapolis (finished 8th). Backup Chassis: PRS-839 - Last Raced: Backup as several tracks.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon will race Hendrick Motorsports primary chassis No. 24-807 on his birthday at Pocono. This is a brand new chassis for the Tricky Triangle.

#27- Paul Menard - This Week's Tarkett/Menards Chevrolet ... Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 427 at Pocono Raceway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS was previously run this season at Michigan International Speedway finishing 14th.

#29- Kevin Harvick - This Week's Budweiser Chevrolet SS at Pocono Raceway ... Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 391 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway. This Chevrolet was most recently utilized by the No. 29 team at Pocono Raceway in June starting the race fifth and finishing ninth.

#31- Jeff Burton - This Weekend's No. 31 FXI Gutter Clear365 Chevrolet at Pocono Raceway ... Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 416 this weekend at Pocono Raceway. This No. 31 Chevrolet has been utilized four times this season at Auto Club Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and in the June NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Pocono.

#39- Ryan Newman - A workhorse of the No. 39 Haas Automation fleet, Chassis No. 39-733 debuted at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July 2012, when Newman recorded a seventh-place finish. The crew turned the car around in just a couple of days and took it 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 International Speedway. The chassis made its last start of 2012 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City in October, when Newman was involved in an incident that forced him to retire from the event prematurely. Chassis No. 39-733 was outfitted with a new front clip and a Chevrolet SS body over the off season, and saw its first laps of 2013 at Kansas in April, when Newman finished 14th. He then raced this Chevrolet SS to a 10th-place finish at Darlington Raceway in May. Newman again raced Chassis 39-733 at Pocono in June, where he recorded a fifth-place finish. Newman was in contention to score another top-10 finish with Chassis 39-733 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta in June, but a late-race restart saw him shuffled to 14th when the checkered flag waved. Most recently, Newman qualified the car on the pole and led 45 laps en-route to earning his first win of the 2013 season in last weekend’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 GoBowling.com Ford Fusion team will bring back chassis No. 837 to Pocono. The team raced the chassis in the Pocono race in June.

#48- Jimmie Johnson - Johnson will drive chassis No. 799 at Pocono. Chassis No. 797 serves as the backup. No. 799 raced this year at Kentucky in June, finished 9th and Charlotte in May of 2012, finished 22nd. In 2012 chassis No. 797 raced at Dover in June , finished 17th.

#55- Mark Martin - The No. 55 Aaron's primary chassis is No. 759.  Martin drove this car at Pocono, Fontana and Darlington in 2013. 

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr - This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte and the No. 88 National Guard team will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-798. Earnhardt first raced this chassis to a third-place finish at Pocono in June.

#99- Carl Edwards - The No. 99 Fastenal Ford Fusion Blue Team will unload primary chassis RK – 808 which last ran in the Party in the Poconos 400 in June. Edwards brought the No. 99 Ford to an 18th-place finish.  Backup Chassis is  RK – 826, it was the backup for Indianapolis.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases