NASCAR Driver Press Conference Schedule - Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte

Press Conference Schedule, Charlotte

NASCAR schedules driver press conferences at every race weekend event. These normally include the Top 12 drivers in championship points in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, along with other drivers of note. The press conferences will last approximately 15 minutes each and may be viewed at NASCAR.com. Times listed are local time.

Thursday, May 23:

11:30 a.m. – Regan Smith (No. 7 TaxSlayer.com Military Files Free Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nationwide Series), points leader – Media Center

11:45 a.m. – Matt Kenseth (No. 20 Home Depot Husky Toyota), 3^rd in points (364)/3 wins – Media Center

12 noon – Kasey Kahne (No. 5 Time Warner Cable Chevrolet), 6^th in points (326)/1 win/defending race winner – Media Center

12:45 p.m. – Rev Racing Announcement with Max Siegel (CEO, Rev Racing) & Marcus Jadotte (Vice President, Public Affairs & Multicultural Development, NASCAR) – Media Center

2:30 p.m. – Jeff Gordon (No. 24 Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet), 12^th in points (311) – #24 hauler (team availability)

2:30 p.m. – Brad Keselowski (No. 2 Miller Lite Ford), 7^th in points (326)/defending series champion – Media Center

2:45 p.m. – Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Patriotic Chevrolet), 1^st in points (423)/2 wins – Media Center

5:30 p.m. – Danica Patrick (No10 GoDaddy Chevrolet) - #10 hauler (team availability)

- NASCAR  

Goodyear Tire Fast Facts - Charlotte Coca Cola 600

Tire: Goodyear "Support Our Troops" Speedway Radials:

Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,325, Right-side -- 1,425;
Nationwide: Left-side -- 675, Right-side -- 675

Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying and 13 sets for the race;
Nationwide: 3 sets for Wednesday test day and 6 sets for Thursday practice/qualifying/race


Tire Codes:
 Left-side -- D-4428; Right-side -- D-4552

Tire Circumference: 
Left-side -- 87.5 in. (2,223 mm); Right-side -- 88.4 in. (2,246 mm)

Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 55 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
Right Front -- 54 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same Goodyear tire codes at Charlotte this week. This is the same combination of left and right side tires that teams in both of these series ran at Charlotte last season, and that Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck teams ran last week. This left side tire code (D-4428) was run by these teams at Charlotte beginning in 2011. This right side tire code (D-4552) was also run by Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams at Darlington earlier this month. Normally, Goodyear's tires for Cup and Nationwide teams are branded "Goodyear Eagle," though throughout both of Charlotte's race weeks, all tires will be decaled with "Support Our Troops" as part of the Goodyear Gives Back program. As on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Charlotte. Air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.


- Goodyear Racing News

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014 To Be Announced Wednesday

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014 will be announced following a vote by the 54-member Voting Panel, Wednesday, May 22 at 6 p.m. ET in the Great Hall at the NASCAR Hall of Fame

Five inductees will be selected from the 25 nominees listed below. The list of the Voting Panel members is also below.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014 Nominees

Red Byron, first NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949

Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series

Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR Modified champion

H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway

Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Ray Fox, legendary engine builder and owner of cars driven by Buck Baker, Junior Johnson and others

Anne Bledsoe France, helped build the sport with husband Bill France Sr. Affectionately known as "Annie B.," she is the first woman to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Rick Hendrick, 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series

Jack Ingram, two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion and three-time Late Model Sportsman champion

Bobby Isaac, 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Dale Jarrett, 1999 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner

Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600

Raymond Parks, NASCAR’s first champion car owner

Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Maurice Petty, chief engine builder for Petty Enterprises

Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion

Les Richter, former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway

Fireball Roberts, 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series wins, including the 1962 Daytona 500

T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company senior VP

Wendell Scott, NASCAR trailblazer was the first African-American NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series race winner, and first to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

O. Bruton Smith, builder of Charlotte Motor Speedway and architect of Speedway Motorsports Inc.

Curtis Turner, early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"

Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Rex White, 1960 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Historian Buz McKim.

NASCAR Officials: Chairman/CEO Brian France; Vice Chairman Jim France; President Mike Helton; Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O'Donnell; Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton; Competition Administrator Jerry Cook; former Senior Vice President Paul Brooks; former Vice President Ken Clapp.

Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa Kennedy; Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell; Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage; Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; former Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George; Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn; Pocono Raceway board of director member Looie McNally; Bowman Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis; Kingsport Speedway operator Robert Pressley; Riverhead Raceway operators Jim and Barbara Cromarty (1 vote); Rockford Speedway operator Jody Deery.

VOTING PANEL

The Voting Panel consists of the above 21-member Nominating Committee and the following 34 representatives.

American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association: Dusty Brandel, AARWBA President.

Eastern Motorsports Press Association: Ron Hedger, EMPA President.

National Motorsports Press Association: Kenny Bruce, NMPA President.

Print & Online Media: Jenna Fryer, Associated Press; Dustin Long, MotorRacingNetwork.com; Al Pearce, Autoweek; Jim Pedley, RacinToday.com; Bob Pockrass, Sporting News; Nate Ryan, USA Today.

Broadcasters: Mike Joy, FOX; Jerry Punch, ESPN; Kyle Petty, TNT; Barney Hall, MRN; Doug Rice, PRN; Rick Allen, SPEED; Dave Moody, SIRIUSXM NASCAR Radio.

Manufacturers: Chevrolet – Jim Campbell, former General Manager; Ford – Edsel B. Ford II, Board of Directors; Toyota – Lee White, President/General Manager, Toyota Racing Development USA.

Retired Drivers: Harry Gant; Ned Jarrett; Richard Petty; Ricky Rudd.

Retired Car Owners: Junior Johnson; Bud Moore; Robert Yates.

Retired Crew Chiefs: Buddy Parrott; Waddell Wilson; Eddie Wood.

Industry leaders: Retired Associated Press writer Mike Harris; former motorsports journalist Tom Higgins; former broadcaster Ken Squier; former Charlotte Motor Speedway President Humpy Wheeler.

Fan Vote

Charlotte Motor Speedway History and Notes

At Charlotte Motor Speedway

History
· Construction began on Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1959.

· The track’s first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on June 19, 1960 – won by Joe Lee Johnson.

· The track was repaved midseason in 1994.

· The track name changed from Charlotte Motor Speedway to Lowe’s Motor Speedway in 1999. It changed back to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the 2010 season.

· The track was re-paved again before the 2006 season.

Notebook
· There have been 108 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points races at Charlotte Motor Speedway, two races per year since the track opened in 1960. In 1961, there were two 100-mile qualifying points races held the week before the May race. The first six fall races at Charlotte were 400-mile events (1960-65).

· 517 drivers have competed in at least one NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points paying race at Charlotte Motor Speedway; 364 in more than one.

· NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty leads the series in starts at Charlotte with 64. Terry Labonte leads all active drivers with 57 starts; followed by Mark Martin with 56.

· Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Charlotte in 1960 with a speed of 133.904 mph.

· 41 drivers have Coors Light poles at Charlotte, led by David Pearson with 14. Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in poles, with nine, followed by Jeff Gordon with eight.

· 12 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Charlotte. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Charlotte with 11; from the fall of 1973 through 1978.

· Jeff Gordon won five straight poles for the spring races at Charlotte between 1994 and 1998.

· Youngest Charlotte pole winner: Jeff Gordon (10/10/1993 – 22 years, 2 months, 6 days).

· Oldest Charlotte pole winner: Bobby Allison (10/11/1987 – 49 years, 10 months, 8 days).

· 45 different drivers have won at Charlotte Motor Speedway, led by Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison and Jimmie Johnson with six wins each.

· Nine drivers have posted consecutive wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including three consecutive by Fred Lorenzen (fall 1964 and both 1965) and four straight by Jimmie Johnson (both in 2004 and 2005).

· A season sweep at Charlotte has occurred eight times, including each season from 2004-2007.

· Seven times from seven different drivers has the winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race gone on to win the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch (2010).

· Youngest Charlotte winner: Jeff Gordon (5/29/1994 – 22 years, 9 months, 25 days).

· Oldest Charlotte winner: Cale Yarborough (10/6/1985 – 46 years, 6 months, 9 days).

· Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins at Charlotte in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with 17: Jimmie Johnson (six), Jeff Gordon (five), Darrell Waltrip (two), Ken Schrader (one), Terry Labonte (one), Casey Mears (one) and Kasey Kahne (one).

· Eight different manufacturers have won in the NSCS at Charlotte; led by Chevrolet with 40 victories; followed by Ford with 28.

· 14 of the 108 (12.9%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from the Coors Light pole; the two most recent were Jimmie Johnson in 2004 and 2009.

· The second-place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (17) than any other starting position at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

· 31 of the 108 (28.7%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from the front row: 14 from the pole and 17 from second-place.

· 83 of the 108 (76.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from a top-10 starting position.

· Eight of the 108 (7.4%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.

· The deepest in the field that a race winner has started at Charlotte was 37th, by Jimmie Johnson in the Coca-Cola 600 of 2003.

· Richard Petty leads the series in runner-up finishes at Charlotte with nine. Bobby Labonte leads all active drivers in second-place finishes at Charlotte with six; followed by Matt Kenseth with three.

· NASCAR Hall of Famers Richard Petty and Bobby Allison are tied for the series’ most top-five finishes at Charlotte with 23. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 18, followed by Jeff Gordon with 16.

· Richard Petty leads the series in top-10 finishes at Charlotte with 31. Mark Martin leads all active drivers with 24.

· Ryan Newman leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Charlotte with a 6.917.

· Joey Logano leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average finishing position at Charlotte with a 10.125.

· 14 of the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners at Charlotte Motor Speedway participated in at least two or more races before visiting Victory Lane. Jamie McMurray won in his first appearance at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jeff Gordon won in his second appearance at CMS.

· Terry Labonte competed at Charlotte Motor Speedway 36 times before winning in the fall of 1996; the longest span of any the 16 active NASCAR Sprint Cup winners.

· Among the 16 active NSCS Charlotte winners Bobby Labonte (36), Kevin Harvick (20), Kurt Busch (19), Mark Martin (15), Clint Bowyer (13), Ken Schrader (10) and Jeff Burton (10) 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 Charlotte without visiting Victory Lane at 33; followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 26.

· Since the advent of electronic scoring the closest margin of victory (MOV) in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte was the May 29, 2005 race won by Jimmie Johnson over Bobby Labonte with an MOV of 0.027 second.

· There have been three NASCAR Sprint Cup races resulting with a green-white-checkered finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway, but only once for the Coca-Cola 600 (Scheduled No. of Laps/Actual No. of Laps): fall of 2005 (334/336), fall of 2007 (334/337) and the 2011 Coca-Cola 600 (400/402).

· Five of the 108 races at Charlotte Motor Speedway have been shortened due to weather conditions; the most recent was the 2009 Coca-Cola 600 won by David Reutimann and Michael Waltrip Racing. Four of the five races shortened were the 600-mile events (1968, 1997, 2003 and 2009).

· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte twice; the fall race of 2002 and the fall race of 2008.

· Seven NASCAR Sprint Cup active drivers have made their first career start at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Michael Waltrip (5/26/85), Elliott Sadler (5/24/98), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5/30/99), Jimmie Johnson (10/7/01), Brian Vickers (10/11/03), David Reutimann (10/15/05) and Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (5/29/11).

· Four active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (10/10/93), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5/28/00), Ryan Newman (5/27/01) and Aric Almirola (5/27/12). Almirola’s pole last season was the first time since May 22, 1966 that the No. 43 car had won the Coors Light pole at CMS.

· Six active NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have posted their first career win at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (5/29/94), Bobby Labonte (5/28/95), Matt Kenseth (5/28/00), Jamie McMurray (10/13/02), Casey Mears (5/27/07) and David Reutimann (5/25/09).

· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in laps led at Charlotte with 1,439 laps led in 23 starts. 826 of Johnson’s 1,439 laps led at CMS were in the Coca-Cola 600; the most of any active NSCS driver.

Charlotte Motor Speedway DataSeason Race #: 12 of 36 (5-26-13)Track Size: 1.5-miles
Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 24 degrees
Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 24 degrees
Banking/Frontstretch: 5 degrees
Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees
Frontstretch Length: 1,980 feet
Backstretch Length: 1,500 feet
Race Length: 400 laps / 600 miles

Top 12 Driver Rating at CharlotteJimmie Johnson........................ 111.7Kyle Busch............................... 107.7
Kasey Kahne.............................. 98.0
Matt Kenseth.............................. 94.4
Greg Biffle.................................. 94.1
Denny Hamlin............................. 92.1
Carl Edwards.............................. 89.0
Joey Logano.............................. 88.4
Mark Martin................................. 88.2
Jeff Gordon................................ 87.3
Aric Almirola............................... 84.8
Tony Stewart............................... 83.4

Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2012 races (16 total) among active drivers at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

- NASCAR Statistics 

NASCAR This Week on ABC and ESPN

NASCAR Nationwide Series at Charlotte on ABC

The NASCAR Nationwide Series competes at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday, May 25, and the series will appear on ABC for the first time this season. The History 300 telecast begins with NASCAR Countdown at 2:30 p.m. ET with the race’s green flag at 3:02 p.m. Also from Charlotte, ESPN2 will televise qualifying earlier that day at 11 a.m.

Announcers:

Booth: Lap-by-Lap announcer Allen Bestwick; analysts Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree.

Pit reporters: Dave Burns, Mike Massaro, Shannon Spake. 

NASCAR Now Schedule

ESPN2’s daily NASCAR news and information program NASCAR Now will preview the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the one-hour edition airing Sunday, May 26, at 10 a.m. ET. Host Chris Cotter will be joined in the studio by ESPN NASCAR analyst Ricky Craven and reporters Marty Smith and Ryan McGee at the track. The week’s schedule:

Date Time Show Host Network
Tue., May 21   1:30 a.m.     NASCAR Now    Mike Massaro               ESPN2
Wed., May 2    1:30 a.m.     NASCAR Now    Mike Massaro               ESPN2
Thurs., May 23 1:30 a.m.   NASCAR Now     Mike Massaro              ESPN2
Fri., May 24     2 p.m.          NASCAR Now    Jonathan Coachman   ESPN2
Sun., May 25    10 a.m.        NASCAR Now    Chris Cotter                  ESPN2

- ESPN Media Zone News

NASCAR Chassis Selections - All Star Weekend

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 No. 2 Miller Lite Fan Mosaic Ford Fusion Primary Chassis PRS-845 Last Raced Bristol (finished third). Backup Chassis: PRS-847 Last Raced: Backup at several races (not raced).

#5- Kasey Kahne - Crew chief Kenny Francis has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-763 for Saturday’s event. Most recently, Kahne drove this chassis at Fontana, Calif., on March 24, and he finished ninth. He also tested this chassis at Charlotte in December 2012 and January 2013.

#9- Marcos Ambrose - The No. 9 Dewalt Ford Fusion team prepared chassis No. 804 for the All-Star Race. The team tested this chassis at Charlotte Motor Speedway in January where they posted the fourth fastest speed of the day. 

#10-Danica Patrick - Sprint Showdown Racecar – Chassis No. 10-751: Chassis No. 10-751 was first used by Patrick in March at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., where she started 40th and finished 26th. She then drove this car in April at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, where she started 25th and finished 25th.

#14-Tony Stewart - Chassis No. 14-754: This car debuted in March at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where it qualified ninth and finished a solid 11th. Prior to Las Vegas, it had never turned a wheel on a racetrack, but it did spend considerable time in the wind tunnel. Its second and most recent start came in April at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, where it qualified 13th and struggled with its handling before finishing 21st.

#15- Clint Bowyer -  The No. 15 5 Hour Energy teams primary chassis No. 773 is brand new for the Sprint All-Star Race. Backup chassis No. 724 served backup duty at Las Vegas, Fontana, Texas, Kansas and Darlington, but has yet to see the track this season. 

#16- Greg Biffle - The No. 16 Filtrete Ford Fusion Primary Chassis RK-817 last raced at Kansas and earned a 19th-place finish. RK-817 is the same car that Biffle won Michigan with in the fall of 2012. Backup Chassis: RK-803 last ran Bristol – finished 11th.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - The No. 17 Best Buy Ford Fusion primary chassis RK-811 is the same chassis that the No.99 team ran numerous times in 2012. The backup Chassis RK-791 was a chassis that the No. 99 ran numerous times in 2012.

#22- Joey Logano - The No. 22 Pennzoil Ford Fusion Primary Chassis PRS-855 is a brand new chassis. Backup Chassis: PRS-844 Last Raced as Backup at several races but not raced. As is a normal occurrence in the Sprint All-Star race, Logano will carry a special paint scheme for the event. His car will transform from the regular yellow and red to a primarily yellow car highlighting the Pennzoil sponsorship of the No. 22 machine. The same paint scheme will run on Logano's Ford Fusion next week as well in the Coca-Cola 600.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon will race Hendrick Motorsports chassis No.24-795. This is a brand new chassis for the All Star Race.

#27- Paul Menard - This Week's Serta/Menards Chevrolet. Paul Menard will pilot chassis No. 386 in the Sprint Showdown at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This No. 27 Chevrolet SS raced at Texas Motor Speedway in 2012, but has not previously run this season.

#29- Kevin Harvick - This Week's Rheem/Budweiser Chevrolet SS at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kevin Harvick will pilot chassis No. 378 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race under the lights of Charlotte Motor Speedway. Harvick last drove this RCR machine to a 13th-place result at Auto Club Speedway in March.

#31- Jeff Burton - This Weekend's Caterpillar Chevrolet at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jeff Burton will race chassis No. 393 this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. This No. 31 Chevrolet was utilized five times during the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season at Auto Club Speedway, Darlington Raceway, Michigan International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway. Burton also piloted this machine earlier this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway.

#39- Ryan Newman - Chassis No. 39-727 debuted at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May 2012, when Newman finished 14th. The chassis made its last start of the 2012 season at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Newman and the #39 team recorded a third-place finish. Chassis No. 39-727 was outfitted with a Chevrolet SS body over the winter, and it was wind-tunnel tested last week in preparation for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.

#43- Aric Almirola - The No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion team has prepared chassis No. 742 for the Sprint Showdown. Almirola drove the chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March where he drove from a 22nd starting spot to finish 16th.

#48- Jimmie Johnson -  Johnson will drive primary chassis No. 784 for the Sprint All-Star Race. It last ran at Kansas in April finishing 3rd, before that was at Auto Club Speedway, finishing 12th. Chassis No. 720 serves as the backup.

#55- Mark Martin -  Primary Chassis is No. 722 which  finished eighth at Bristol with Brian Vickers behind wheel. Backup chassis will be No. 720.

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr -  This weekend, crew chief Steve Letarte will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-716. Earnhardt most recently raced this chassis to a 16th-place finish at Kansas Speedway in April.

#99- Carl Edwards - The #99 Fastenal team will be bringing primary chassis RK-821 for the Sprint All-Star race this weekend at Charlotte which last ran at Auto Club Speedway in April. Chassis RK-831 is the backup that was also the backup at Darlington last week.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases

NASCAR Driver Statistics - All Star Weekend

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 six starts in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.  In his six starts, McMurray has an average starting position of 12.8 and an average finishing position of 17.1.  His best start of fourth came in 2010, and his best finish of ninth occurred in the 2009 edition of the race. In 2009, a second place finish in the preliminary event earned McMurray a spot in the All-Star Race.

#2- Brad Keselowski -  Keselowski locked himself into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star Race by winning the Quaker State 400 - his first victory after the 2012 All-Star event - at Kentucky Speedway last summer. 2012: In the closest finish of the night, Keselowski edged Kasey Kahne by inches to win the third segment of the 2012 All-Star Race. He parlayed that into a second-place finish in the final segment, marking his best-ever result in the event.  In 2011 Keselowski raced his way into the All-Star Race by finishing second in the All-Star Showdown qualifying race. Since his rookie season of 2009, Keselowski has not missed the All-Star Race. 

#5- Kasey Kahne -  In nine NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, Kasey Kahne has one win and three top-10 finishes. In 2008, Kahne became the first driver to win the event after being voted into the race by the fans. The 33-year-old driver has competed in the race every year since joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit in 2004 and earned the pole position for the 2006 exhibition event. Kahne and six other drivers have won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and have gone on to win the 600-mile race at Charlotte the following weekend: Darrell Waltrip (1985), Davey Allison (1991), Dale Earnhardt (1993), Jeff Gordon (1997), Jimmie Johnson (2003), Kasey Kahne (2008) and Kurt Busch (2010).

#9- Marcos Ambrose - Marcos Ambrose earned a spot in this weekend’s Sprint All-Star Race with his dramatic win at Watkins Glen International last season. In his eight starts at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, the Australian native has collected one top-five and two top-10 finishes, all with the No. 9 team. He posted his best start of second last spring and best finish of fifth in the fall of 2011. In his only start in the Showdown, Ambrose finished 7th in 2012. 

#10-Danica Patrick - The Sprint Showdown will be the fifth stock-car start for Patrick at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. She competed in three NASCAR Nationwide Series races at the 1.5-mile oval and scored two top-15 finishes. Her only Sprint Cup Series start at Charlotte came in the 2012 Coca-Cola 600, where she started 40th and finished 30th.

#11- Denny Hamlin - Denny Hamlin will climb into the #11 FedEx Express Toyota in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the seventh start for Hamlin in the non-points exhibition event. One year ago, Hamlin started third and led 16 laps in the five segment, 90-lap race, but fell to 20th in the final 10-lap run won by Jimmie Johnson. Hamlin has recorded three top-10 finishes in six previous All-Star races, including career-best fourth-place runs in 2009 and 2010. He has qualified for the All-Star Race in every season after his 2006 rookie campaign (2007-2012) by virtue of race wins.

#14-Tony Stewart - This is Stewart’s 15th year in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and his 15th year in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Stewart is the winner of the 2009 All-Star Race. He led only once for two laps in the non-points event, but they were the most important ones. He paced the final two circuits around the 1.5-mile oval after getting by Matt Kenseth for the lead on lap 98 of the 100-lap event. Stewart’s margin of victory over the 2003 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion was .971 of a second. The 2009 All-Star Race was Stewart’s first victory as a driver/owner with Stewart-Haas Racing, the team he co-owns with Gene Haas. The win made Stewart the first driver/owner to win a Sprint Cup-sanctioned event since Ricky Rudd won a point-paying race in October 1998 at Martinsville Speedway. It was also the first All Star Race win for Stewart, who had six top-10 finishes in 10 previous starts in the event. Stewart became the second driver/owner to win the All Star Race, joining Geoff Bodine, who accomplished the feat in 1994. Stewart has eight top-five finishes in 14 career starts in the All-Star Race. Stewart won The Winston Open during his rookie year in 1999 to advance into The Winston, where he finished second in the non-points event. Up until his win in 2009, Stewart’s best finish since 1999 had been a pair of third-place efforts (2001 and 2004). Stewart won the first segment of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Challenge in 2004 and the second segment of The Winston in 2001.

#15- Clint Bowyer - Bowyer will make his fifth career All-Star start at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday night. In four previous starts, his best finish is 12th in 2009. Last year Bowyer started 12th and finished 14th. Bowyer averages a 10th place start and 15th place finish. Bowyer gained entry to the Sprint All-Star race by winning three races in 2012 (Sonoma, fall Richmond, fall Charlotte). 

#16- Greg Biffle - With the help of a fast pit stop by his 3M Pit Bulls, Biffle started last year’s All-Star race in fourth place.  Unfortunately a mechanical issue ended his night early, resulting in a 22nd-place finish. Biffle has 9 starts in the All Star race earning 2 top 5's, 3 top 10's with 5 DNF's. He has led 57 laps with an average finish of 13.333.

#17- Ricky Stenhouse Jr - The driver of the No. 17 Best Buy Ford will try to race his way in to his first Sprint All-Star race. If he doesn’t race his way in then he will rely on the fan vote to get in to the All-Star race.

#18- Kyle Busch - The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will mark Busch’s eighth appearance as an All-Star Race invitee in his ninth season as a Sprint Cup regular.  Busch has led 152 laps in his seven previous All-Star Race starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway with 2011 featuring his best career finish of second in the non-points event.

#20- Matt Kenseth - In 12 career All-Star Race starts, Kenseth has begun the race from the pole twice, and has claimed one victory in the non-points event.  Kenseth has competed in every All-Star Race since his sophomore season (2001).  He has an average finish of 6.250 and has a driver rating of 91.1 in All-Star competition. Matt has 5 top 5's,  9 top 10's and only 1 DNF.

#22- Joey Logano - Joey Logano will race in his third NASCAR Sprint Cup Series All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. Logano qualified for the event by winning his second-career Sprint Cup Series race last season at Pocono Raceway. Logano won the pole, led the most laps and passed his childhood idol, Mark Martin, to grab the victory. Of all drivers entered and eligible for this weekend's All-Star race, Logano has the best career average finish in the event. In his two previous starts, Logano owns finishes of eighth (2009) and third (2010), giving him a 5.5 average finish in the special event.

#24- Jeff Gordon - Gordon has 19 previous starts in the All Star Race and has scored 1 pole, 3 wins, 6 top 5's, 9 top 10'sand has led 165 laps with an average finish of 9.526. His last win was the crash marred race in 2001. 

#27- Paul Menard - Menard has five-career Sprint Showdown starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His best start of third came in 2011 and best finish of fourth came in 2010. The Wisconsin native has completed 160 of 200 laps attempted (80 percent) in the NASCAR All-Star Race qualifying event.

#29- Kevin Harvick -  Saturday night's event marks Harvick's 13th appearance in the NASCAR exhibition race, dating back to 2001. In 2007, the RCR veteran visited Victory Lane following the marquee event. Harvick has collected a total of two top-five and seven top-10 finishes throughout the years, and is credited with 62 lap led.

#31- Jeff Burton - Burton has made eight appearances in the Sprint Showdown and qualified 12 times for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race during his 19-year career. Burton won the 2003 Sprint Showdown and finished eighth in last year's event. His best qualifying effort of fourth-place for the two-segment, 40-lap event came in 1995.

#42- Juan Pablo Montoya -  Montoya has appeared in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race two times during his NSCS career (2008, 2011).  He has an average start of 11.5 and an average finish of 13.  His best start and finish came in the 2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star race when he started eighth and finished 12th.

#43- Aric Almirola -  Aric Almirola will compete in Saturday’s Sprint Showdown looking for a win to gain a spot in the headline Sprint All-Star Race. To qualify for the All-Star Race, the No. 43 Smithfield Ford team will have to finish first or second in the Sprint Showdown 40-lap qualifier race. He has made two starts in his Sprint Cup career at Charlotte, both with Richard Petty Motorsports. He won the pole for the Coca-Cola 600 last May. In the fall event, he started 17th with the Todd Parrott-led team and finished 12th.

#48- Jimmie Johnson -  All-Star Race Quick Stats: Three wins (May 2012, 2006 and 2003) in 11 starts. One pole (2009). Seven top-five finishes (63.6 percent) and seven top-10s (63.6 percent) in 11 starts. Average start of 9.1. Average finish of 6.6. One DNF (did not finish) – May 2004. 984 of 1,020 laps completed (96 percent) and 209 laps led. Sprint Cup’s fourth-best driver rating (104.9 average of a possible 150 points).

#55- Mark Martin - In 23 All-Star Races, Martin owns two victories (1998 & 2005) and six top-five finishes. He’s led 66 laps and has never started on the pole. He ran in the Winston Open in 1988 & ’89. 

#88- Dale Earnhardt Jr -  Dale Earnhardt Jr. qualified for the All-Star Race by winning a NASCAR Sprint Cup event during the 2012 season. Earnhardt led five times for 95 laps to win at Michigan International Speedway on June 17, 2012. Earnhardt made history on May 20, 2000, when he became the first rookie to win the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Earnhardt led two laps and beat veteran Dale Jarrett to the finish line by 1.295 seconds. In 13 appearances in the non-points all-star event, Earnhardt has scored one win, four top-five finishes and 10 top-10s. His average finish in the exhibition race is 8.38. Last year, Earnhardt earned a spot in the All-Star Race by winning the Sprint Showdown. He lined up 21st for the 90-lap shootout and led 18 laps before crossing the finish line fifth.

#99- Carl Edwards - Carl Edwards will make his eighth appearance in the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend. In his previous starts he has one win, three top-five and four top-10 finishes.

- Reported in Team News/Press Releases