CP MOTORSPORTS - SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE, CHARLOTTE NOTEBOOK
SATURDAY NOTEBOOK - HAMLIN FENDS OFF ALL CHALLENGERS EN ROUTE TO BIG WIN
Denny Hamlin won Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway despite late race challenges from Stewart-Haas Racing teammates and front row mainstays Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch.
The victory was not only Hamlin's first All-Star Race win, but also the first time Joe Gibbs Racing has ever won the annual non-points paying event.
"You want to win the Daytona 500," Hamlin said. "You want to win the Brickyard 400. You want to win the Coke 600. You want to be an All-Star. It's just an unbelievable experience."
At one point in the race's final ten lap segment, Harvick pulled to the back bumper of Hamlin but was not able to challenge for the lead. Harvick was forced to settle for a second-place finish.
"I'm not frustrated," Harvick said. "I've been on the other side of this deal and our days where we have something go wrong, the recovery from starting last and having a chance to win the race today. That was a recovery day - a day that goes smooth and hopefully you can win the race. It's been a great start, and I feel like we're competitive every week."
Kurt Busch won the race's fourth segment but finished in third place. Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top five.
With the power of an efficient pit crew, Hamlin was able to win the race, as well as qualify on the pole. The Sprint All-Star Race's qualifying format makes teams run four laps as well as change four tires with time elapsed being the deciding factor.
Hamlin believes pit road was the deciding factor in the win.
"I mean, that's all there is to it," Hamlin said. "My pit crew just did an amazing job. I don't know what the time of the pit stop was, but it was fast as I've seen all year and, obviously, that number one pit stall helped us. If we had to get up to speed, we were probably going to come out third or so, but being right there by that camera line, it allowed us to come out first. I knew it was fast when they went over the left side, so, gosh, these guys have been with me for so long and they switched over teams with me with Dave Rogers, so it means so much to me to be a part of that and win it with them."
Brad Keselowski, winner in two of the race's five segments, had his chance for the $1 million dollar prize slip away on the same pit stop which propelled Hamlin to victory. Keselowski entered pit road first but penalized by NASCAR for speeding in trying to beat Hamlin off of pit road.
Keselowski, who salvaged a ninth place finish, believed beating Hamlin off pit road was the only option for victory.
"Whoever gets the clean air with this format and this rules package is going to drive away," Keselowski said. "We've seen that for the last three years and with this particular car it's probably even more so. I thought the #41 and the #4 were probably two or three tenths faster than everybody without clean air, and it doesn't matter. I knew when I came out of my pit stall, and the #11 was pulling out with me that I either beat him to the line or lose the race.
"On the penalty, I was three-tenths of a mile an hour over the speed limit, but I told my crew chief I'd rather go down swinging than take a strike and wonder what might have been. I swung and missed."
Saturday night's race also saw the return of Hamlin's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch, who had missed every point-earning race this season following injuries suffered during Daytona's Xfinity race. Despite a pit road speeding penalty, Busch returned to form with a sixth place finish.
"I'll be sore for a couple of days," Busch admitted. "There's just muscles that haven't been woken up like this in a little while. It's nothing new. Typically I get that in the beginning of the year anyway. It takes a few weeks to kind of get warmed up to things, your body to kind of settle in. Being out of the race car the longest I've ever been in my career, it's a wake-up call for myself to get back rolling."
NASCAR announced after the race their officials are investigating a possible rules violation during the Sprint All-Star Race Saturday night related to Jimmie Johnson's No. 48 team. The investigation focuses on an alleged modified side skirt to their Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet during the race.
Johnson struggled with the handle throughout the race and finished in 15th place.
Unofficial Race Results for the 31St Annual Nascar Sprint All-Star Race
- Friday, May 15, 2015
Charlotte Motor Speedway - Concord, NC - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 110 Laps - 165 Miles - Purse: $3,150,588
Leader
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Driver Rating Winnings Status Tms Laps
1 1 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 110 114.2 $1,045,009 Running 3 26
2 20 4 Kevin Harvick Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet 110 109.1 $249,784 Running
3 16 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 110 129.0 $149,735 Running 2 24
4 9 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet 110 93.7 $119,705 Running
5 17 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 110 78.9 $114,705 Running
6 19 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Red Nose Day Toyota 110 69.9 $108,705 Running
7 5 5 Kasey Kahne Time Warner Cable Chevrolet 110 105.6 $102,555 Running 1 11
8 11 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 110 80.4 $101,555 Running
9 3 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 110 111.0 $100,555 Running 2 49
10 7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevrolet 110 64.9 $99,555 Running
11 13 47 AJ Allmendinger Kingsford Chevrolet 110 59.5 $98,530 Running
12 4 15 Clint Bowyer Cherry5HrEnergy/SpecialOprtnWarriorFndtn Toyota 110 61.0 $97,530 Running
13 2 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 110 43.3 $96,530 Running
14 8 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 110 31.7 $96,030 Running
15 12 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet 110 59.7 $95,430 Running
16 14 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 110 41.9 $95,155 Running
17 10 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 110 45.4 $95,030 Running
18 18 31 Ryan Newman Cat/Quicken Loans Chevrolet 110 30.8 $94,930 Running
19 15 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Arctic Cat Chevrolet 110 34.1 $94,830 Running
20 6 10 Danica Patrick Mobil 1/Aspen Dental Chevrolet 78 30.0 $94,730 Running
Race Comments: Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, his first win in the annual non-points race. Prior to the start of the race, the following car dropped to the rear of the field for the reason indicated: No. 10 (engine change).
Failed to Qualify: N/A
Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 33 Mins, 00 Secs. Average Speed: 106.452 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.923 Seconds
Caution Flags: 4 for 0 laps: Laps: 25-25 (Competition [None]); 50-50 (Competition [None]); 75-75 (Competition [18]); 100-100 (Competition [15]).
Lead Changes: 7 among 4 drivers: D. Hamlin 1-14; K. Kahne 15-25; B. Keselowski 26-32; Kurt Busch 33; B. Keselowski 34-75; D. Hamlin 76-77; Kurt Busch 78-100; D. Hamlin 101-110.
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Next Race: May. 16, 2015 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875
HAMLIN WINS POLE WITH ALL-STAR PERFORMANCS - Denny Hamlin put himself in prime position to win $1 million dollars by winning the pole for Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race.
Hamlin, who has never won the Sprint All-Star Race, completed the three-lap, four-tire pit stop qualifying session in just 112.227 seconds, carrying an average speed of 145.648. Hamlin's time was a second better than his next closest competitor.
Greg Biffle, who won the opening segment of Friday's Sprint Showdown, carried his momentum into Saturday with a qualifying run of 112.000 seconds which was the second best time.
Brad Keselowski completed qualifying in 112.228 seconds giving him the third starting position. Clint Bowyer will start fourth by completing his qualifying turn in 112.300 seconds.
Kasey Kahne will start fifth with a qualifying run of 112.794 seconds.
Danica Patrick, who won the Sprint Fan Vote to become eligible for the race, qualified sixth. Dale Earnhardt, Jr, qualified seventh followed by Aric Almirola, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards rounding out the top-ten qualifiers.
Four-time Sprint All-Star Race champion Jimmie Johnson will start 12th. Defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick struggled on pit road and will start at the back of the 20 car field.
Time Trial Results
Charlotte Motor Speedway
31st Annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, May 16, 2015 @ 08:21 PM Eastern
Driver Date Time Speed
Track Qualifying Record: Kyle Busch 10/11/14 27.357 197.39
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
Qualifying Round: 1
1 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 111.227 145.648 1 1 0.000 0.000
2 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 112.000 144.643 1 1 0.773 0.773
3 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 112.228 144.349 1 1 1.001 0.228
4 15 Clint Bowyer Chrry5HrEnrgy/SpclOprtnWarriorFndtn Toyota 112.300 144.256 1 1 1.073 0.072
5 5 Kasey Kahne Time Warner Cable Chevrolet 112.794 143.625 1 1 1.567 0.494
6 10 Danica Patrick Mobil 1/Aspen Dental Chevrolet 112.893 143.499 1 1 1.666 0.099
7 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevrolet 113.121 143.209 1 1 1.894 0.228
8 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 113.220 143.084 1 1 1.993 0.099
9 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet 113.223 143.080 1 1 1.996 0.003
10 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 113.382 142.880 1 1 2.155 0.159
11 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 113.664 142.525 1 1 2.437 0.282
12 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet 113.706 142.473 1 1 2.479 0.042
13 47 AJ Allmendinger Kingsford Chevrolet 113.764 142.400 1 1 2.537 0.058
14 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 114.024 142.075 1 1 2.797 0.260
15 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Arctic Cat Chevrolet 114.144 141.926 1 1 2.917 0.120
16 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 114.934 140.950 1 1 3.707 0.790
17 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 115.578 140.165 1 1 4.351 0.644
18 31 Ryan Newman Cat/Quicken Loans Chevrolet 117.880 137.428 1 1 6.653 2.302
19 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Red Nose Day Toyota 120.466 134.478 1 1 9.239 2.586
20 4 Kevin Harvick Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet 124.769 129.840 1 1 13.542 4.303
XFINITY FINAL RECAP - BUSCHER WINS IOWA XFINITY RACE
All Chris Buescher needed was a break.
He received a break in the form of a caution with two laps to go in the Xfinity series' 3M 250 from Iowa Speedway on Sunday. Buescher came to pit road and took two tires while Chase Elliott, who was leading the race at the time of the caution, stayed out due to using all his allocated sets of tires previously.
"I was waiting for that break - we needed that," Buescher admitted. "That was exactly what had to happen."
Buescher took control of the race on the green-white-checkered restart giving him his first career Xfinity series win on an oval track. The victory serves as the second of Buescher's young career.
Buescher led 95 laps and with the win moves into sole possession of the Xfinity series points lead.
"We've been running extremely well this season, picking up right where we left off at the end of 2014," Buescher said. "We have 90 percent of the same guys on our team, and everybody's working well together and it's really starting to show. This has been a great beginning to the year."
Chase Elliott led a race-high 114 laps was nearly to the white flag when Jamie Dick lost control and hit the wall, forcing NASCAR's version of overtime - a green-white-checkered finish.
Elliott, who won the Xfinity series championship last season, still managed to finish second despite staying out on older tires.
"I thought today was great; today was a step in the right direction," Elliott said. "Our car was fast all day; I was happy with it yesterday in practice. I was able to have a solid qualifying effort, well inside the top ten. I think all around our weekend was good."
Erik Jones, who drove the #20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, was awarded the pole position prior to the race even though he did not take place in Saturday's qualifying or practice sessions. Jones was in Charlotte for the Camping World Truck Series race and was on standby in case Kyle Busch needed a substitute. This move forced the 18-year-old to start from the back of the field.
Starting from the rear did not serve as much hindrance for the red-hot rookie as he finished in third place.
"We worked hard to get ourselves in position," Jones said. "It's a long day coming from the back; it kind of hinders your ability to adjust really on the car like you really want to. We spent most of the day trying to get the thing where I wanted it; it was on the splitter most of the day. But we ended alright, and we'll get a little bit better for next time."
Brian Scott finished in third place with Ryan Blaney rounding out the top five.
NASCAR's Xfinity series will be back in action Saturday, May 23 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
NASCAR XFINITY Series Race Number 10
Unofficial Race Results for the 5Th Annual 3M 250 - Sunday, May 17, 2015
Iowa Speedway - Newton, IA - .875 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 259 Laps - 226.625 Miles - Purse: $1,353,405
Leader
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Driver Rating Winnings Status Tms Laps
1 4 60 Chris Buescher Roush Performance Products Ford 259 47 4 139.5 $91,509 Running 4 94
2 6 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 259 44 2 137.1 $70,020 Running 2 114
3 1 20 Erik Jones(i) Interstate Batteries Toyota 259 0 110.2 $57,688 Running
4 3 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet 259 40 101.7 $40,566 Running
5 13 22 Ryan Blaney Discount Tire Ford 259 40 1 113.9 $36,811 Running 1 1
6 8 6 Darrell Wallace Jr Ford EcoBoost Ford 259 38 105.5 $33,637 Running
7 14 88 Ben Rhodes Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 259 37 87.3 $32,286 Running
8 5 33 Brandon Jones(i) Jeld-Wen/Menards Chevrolet 259 0 94.5 $31,236 Running
9 10 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 259 35 89.3 $30,106 Running
10 11 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 259 34 94.2 $30,123 Running
11 7 7 Regan Smith NAPA Synthetic Oil Chevrolet 259 33 92.5 $28,617 Running
12 16 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 259 33 1 85.5 $28,062 Running 1 2
13 18 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 259 0 80.5 $27,532 Running
14 9 3 Ty Dillon Red Kap Chevrolet 258 30 105.9 $27,003 Running
15 19 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet 258 29 75.2 $26,873 Running
16 20 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 258 28 67.0 $26,321 Running
17 21 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 257 27 68.4 $26,094 Running
18 2 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 257 27 1 101.9 $27,042 Running 1 48
19 24 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 257 25 61.0 $25,615 Running
20 25 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 257 24 66.4 $25,888 Running
21 15 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 257 23 70.1 $25,261 Running
22 23 8 Blake Koch Toyota 256 22 57.0 $25,130 Running
23 40 29 Kenny Wallace U.S. Cellular Toyota 256 21 57.2 $18,978 Running
24 29 90 Todd Bodine P&L Transportation Chevrolet 255 20 51.7 $24,828 Running
25 30 55 Jamie Dick Viva Auto Group Chevrolet 255 19 43.2 $24,852 Running
26 22 54 Boris Said Monster Energy Toyota 254 18 56.7 $24,575 Running
27 31 52 Joey Gase Iowa Donor Network Chevrolet 253 17 46.8 $24,449 Running
28 33 97 Peyton Sellers # Vroom Brands Chevrolet 252 16 39.2 $18,298 Running
29 36 70 Derrike Cope Adventureland Hotel/Moo's BBQ Chevrolet 247 15 35.7 $18,171 Running
30 37 74 Mike Harmon Absolute Machine Dodge 247 14 33.7 $18,345 Running
31 39 13 John Jackson Braille Battery/Grafoid Dodge 247 13 30.3 $17,889 Running
32 17 4 Ross Chastain # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 215 12 68.3 $23,778 Accident
33 27 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 160 11 41.4 $23,662 Accident
34 26 28 JJ Yeley Texas 28 Spirits Stage Toyota 151 10 60.7 $23,551 Accident
35 32 26 Ryan Ellis(i) JGL Racing Toyota 99 0 44.0 $17,436 Electrical
36 35 15 BJ McLeod(i) BYB Chevrolet 68 8 34.2 $15,678 Brakes
37 28 0 Harrison Rhodes # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 42 7 38.6 $14,678 Suspension
38 12 42 Brennan Poole DC Solar Chevrolet 39 6 38.3 $19,678 Parked
39 34 19 Charles Lewandoski Toyota 4 5 31.3 $12,678 Brakes
40 38 40 Carl Long Braille Battery/Grafoid Toyota 0 4 29.7 $11,678 Electrical
Race Comments: Chris Buescher won the 3M 250 at Iowa Speedway, his second victory in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: Nos. 13, 29, 40, 42, 70 (unapproved adjustments); No. 20 (driver change).
Failed to Qualify: N/A
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 24 Mins, 17 Secs. Average Speed: 94.242 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.523 Seconds
Caution Flags: 9 for 54 laps: Laps: 3-5 (#40 Stalled Turn 3 [None]); 11-15 (#28, 42 Accident Backstretch [None]); 61-66 (Competition Caution [8]); 83-88 (#4 Spin Turn 2 [14]); 143-150 (Debris Turn 3 [28]); 153-162 (#28, 42 Accident Turn 3 [88]); 164-167 (#24, 54 Accident Turn 1 [44]); 178-181 (#25 Spin Turn 2 [51]); 250-257 (#4, 55 Accident Backstretch [25]).
Lead Changes: 9 among 5 drivers: 0; D. Suarez # 1-48; C. Buescher 49-66; C. Elliott 67-144; C. Buescher 145-180; R. Blaney 181; C. Buescher 182-219; C. Elliott 220-255; R. Reed 256-257; C. Buescher 258-259.
Top 10 Driver Points: (1) C. Buescher 368;(2) T. Dillon 360;(3) C. Elliott 337;(4) D. Wallace Jr 331;(5) B. Scott 326;(6) R. Smith 320;(7) E. Sadler 317;(8) R. Reed 288;(9) B. Gaughan 283;(10) D. Suarez # 281.
3M Lap Leader : Chase Elliott, #9 114 Laps Coors Light Pole Award : Erik Jones, #20 134.391 mph
Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : Hendrick Engines, #9 Mobil 1 Driver of the Race : Chris Buescher, #60
Sunoco Rookie of the Race : Daniel Suarez, #18
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Next Race: May. 23, 2015 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875
HERRING WINS XFINITY POLE FOR #20 TEAM - Drew Herring won the pole for Sunday's 3M 250 at Iowa Speedway, a stand-alone race in NASCAR's Xfinity series race.
Herring, however, will not start the race from the pole position. In fact, the 28-year old driver will not start the race at all. He was practicing and qualifying the #20 Joe Gibbs Racing entry which will be driven by Erik Jones on Sunday.
Jones is on stand-by for Kyle Busch, who's making his return for Joe Gibbs Racing this week and also expecting the birth of his baby at any moment.
Nonetheless, Herring laid down a lap of 23.439 seconds at 134.391 mph.
Herring's JGR teammate Daniel Suarez recorded a lap of 23.446 seconds at 134.351 mph which put him in the second starting position. Suarez's run becomes a de facto pole winning run with the driver change coming for the #20 team.
Brian Scott, who was the fastest driver in Saturday's final practice, qualified third with a fast lap of 23.524 seconds at 133.906 mph. Chris Buescher recorded a lap of 23.542 seconds at 133.803 putting the Roush-Fenway Racing driver in fourth.
Brandon Jones, who is ineligible for any series points, was fastest in Saturday's first practice session put his #33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet in fifth with a fast lap of 23.551 seconds at 133.752 mph.
JR Motorsports teammates Chase Elliott and Regan Smith qualified sixth and seventh, respectively. Darrell Wallace, Jr, qualified eighth with Ty Dillon and Elliott Sadler rounding out the top ten qualifiers.
Ryan Blaney qualified 13th. Ben Rhodes, who is making his Xfinity series debut in JR Motorsports #88 entry, qualified 14th.
Starting Line Up by Row
Iowa Speedway
5th Annual 3M 250
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, May 16, 2015 @ 05:52 PM Central
Driver Date Time Speed
Track Race Record: Elliott Sadler 08/04/12 01:53:31 115.622
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed
Row 1: 1 20 Drew Herring Interstate Batteries Toyota 23.439 134.391
2 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 23.446 134.351
Row 2: 3 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet 23.524 133.906
4 60 Chris Buescher Roush Performance Products Ford 23.542 133.803
Row 3: 5 33 Brandon Jones(i) Jeld-Wen/Menards Chevrolet 23.551 133.752
6 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 23.554 133.735
Row 4: 7 7 Regan Smith NAPA Synthetic Oil Chevrolet 23.564 133.678
8 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Ford EcoBoost Ford 23.575 133.616
Row 5: 9 3 Ty Dillon Red Kap Chevrolet 23.626 133.328
10 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 23.636 133.271
Row 6: 11 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 23.666 133.102
12 42 Brennan Poole DC Solar Chevrolet 23.721 132.794
Row 7: 13 22 Ryan Blaney Discount Tire Ford 23.629 133.311
14 88 Ben Rhodes Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 23.726 132.766
Row 8: 15 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 23.727 132.760
16 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 23.809 132.303
Row 9: 17 4 Ross Chastain # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 23.898 131.810
18 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 23.916 131.711
Row 10: 19 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet 23.939 131.584
20 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 23.963 131.453
Row 11: 21 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 23.976 131.381
22 54 Boris Said Monster Energy Toyota 23.982 131.349
Row 12: 23 8 Blake Koch Toyota 23.987 131.321
24 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 23.990 131.305
Row 13: 25 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 24.203 130.149
26 28 JJ Yeley Texas 28 Spirits Stage Toyota 24.273 129.774
Row 14: 27 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 24.300 129.630
28 0 Harrison Rhodes # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 24.312 129.566
Row 15: 29 90 Todd Bodine P&L Transportation Chevrolet 24.372 129.247
30 55 Jamie Dick Viva Auto Group Chevrolet 24.403 129.082
Row 16: 31 52 Joey Gase Iowa Donor Network Chevrolet 24.422 128.982
32 26 Ryan Ellis(i) JGL Racing Toyota 24.496 128.592
Row 17: 33 97 Peyton Sellers # Vroom Brands Chevrolet 24.646 127.810
34 19 Charles Lewandoski Toyota Owner Points
Row 18: 35 15 BJ McLeod(i) BYB Chevrolet Owner Points
36 70 Derrike Cope Adventureland Hotel/Moo's BBQ Chevrolet Owner Points
Row 19: 37 74 Mike Harmon Absolute Machine Dodge Owner Points
38 40 Carl Long Braille Battery/Grafoid Toyota Owner Points
Row 20: 39 13 John Jackson Braille Battery/Grafoid Dodge Owner Points
40 29 Kenny Wallace U.S. Cellular Toyota Owner Points
Did Not Qualify: None.
Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs Manufacturer Starting Lineup DNQs
Chevrolet 20 0 Ford 6 0
Dodge 2 0 Toyota 12 0
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
RCR TEAMS FASTEST IN XFINITY PRACTICE - Richard Childress Racing Xfinity series teammates Brandon Jones and Brian Scott were the fastest in Saturday's practice sessions from Iowa Speedway.
Brandon Jones, behind the wheel of the #33 Jeld-Wen/Menard's Chevrolet, recorded a lap of 23.217 seconds at 135.676 mph to jump to the top of the first session's practice charts. Jones also recorded the session's fastest consecutive ten-lap average at 131.759 mph from lap 9 to lap 18.
Roush-Fenway Racing Xfinity regular Chris Buescher was the second fastest in the first session with a fast lap of 23.229 seconds at 135.606 mph. Daniel Suarez, who is back in the #18 ride for Joe Gibbs Racing, was third fastest.
Jones' RCR teammate Ty Dillon was fourth fastest and defending Xfinity series champion Chase Elliott rounded out the top five fastest.
Xfinity mainstay Brian Scott led the field in Saturday's second session. The Idaho-native recorded a fast lap of 23.552 seconds at 133.747 mph, faster than anyone in the session. Scott was followed closely by the first session's leader Brandon Jones, who recorded a 23.607-second lap at 133.435 mph.
Scott also ran the session's fastest ten lap consecutive average at 130.339 mph.
Darrell Wallace, Jr, laid down a lap of 23.801 seconds at 132.347 mph to secure third fastest in the session. John Wes Townley and Ben Rhodes rounded out the final session's top five.
Xfinity qualifying from Iowa Speedway is scheduled for 5:45 pm on Saturday.
NXS Practice 1
Iowa Speedway
5th Annual 3M 250
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, May 16, 2015 @ 12:41 PM Central
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
1 33 Brandon Jones(i) Jeld-Wen/Menards Chevrolet 23.217 135.676 27 27 ---.--- ---.---
2 60 Chris Buescher Roush Performance Products Ford 23.229 135.606 12 13 -0.012 -0.012
3 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 23.297 135.211 23 24 -0.080 -0.068
4 3 Ty Dillon Red Kap Chevrolet 23.344 134.938 13 13 -0.127 -0.047
5 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 23.468 134.225 2 20 -0.251 -0.124
6 22 Ryan Blaney Discount Tire Ford 23.478 134.168 7 15 -0.261 -0.010
7 7 Regan Smith NAPA Synthetic Oil Chevrolet 23.481 134.151 9 11 -0.264 -0.003
8 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 23.556 133.724 6 21 -0.339 -0.075
9 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet 23.558 133.713 4 15 -0.341 -0.002
10 6 Drew Herring Ford EcoBoost Ford 23.572 133.633 12 23 -0.355 -0.014
11 20 Drew Herring Interstate Batteries Toyota 23.610 133.418 4 12 -0.393 -0.038
12 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 23.693 132.951 5 24 -0.476 -0.083
13 42 Brennan Poole DC Solar Chevrolet 23.728 132.755 11 33 -0.511 -0.035
14 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 23.737 132.704 5 26 -0.520 -0.009
15 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 23.788 132.420 12 17 -0.571 -0.051
16 88 Ben Rhodes Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 23.818 132.253 8 35 -0.601 -0.030
17 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 23.830 132.186 8 29 -0.613 -0.012
18 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet 23.831 132.181 6 8 -0.614 -0.001
19 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 23.889 131.860 7 21 -0.672 -0.058
20 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 23.968 131.425 10 20 -0.751 -0.079
21 8 Blake Koch Toyota 24.009 131.201 9 16 -0.792 -0.041
22 29 Kenny Wallace U.S. Cellular Toyota 24.062 130.912 4 6 -0.845 -0.053
23 4 Ross Chastain # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 24.092 130.749 5 5 -0.875 -0.030
24 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 24.097 130.722 11 13 -0.880 -0.005
25 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 24.132 130.532 8 13 -0.915 -0.035
26 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 24.165 130.354 3 5 -0.948 -0.033
27 54 Boris Said Monster Energy Toyota 24.171 130.321 36 45 -0.954 -0.006
28 55 Jamie Dick Viva Auto Group Chevrolet 24.262 129.833 6 10 -1.045 -0.091
29 52 Joey Gase Iowa Donor Network Chevrolet 24.509 128.524 8 8 -1.292 -0.247
30 90 Todd Bodine P&L Transportation Chevrolet 24.513 128.503 4 4 -1.296 -0.004
31 19 Charles Lewandoski Absolute Machine Toyota 24.841 126.806 2 2 -1.624 -0.328
32 97 Peyton Sellers # Vroom Brands Chevrolet 24.967 126.167 9 9 -1.750 -0.126
33 13 John Jackson Braille Battery/Grafoid Dodge 0.000 0.000 0 0 -0.000 -0.000
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 33 Brandon Jones(i) 9 18 131.759
2 62 Brendan Gaughan 1 10 131.396
3 88 Ben Rhodes 22 31 130.653
4 42 Brennan Poole 24 33 129.748
5 54 Boris Said 24 33 128.116
* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
NXS Final Practice
Iowa Speedway
5th Annual 3M 250
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, May 16, 2015 @ 01:18 PM Central
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
1 2 Brian Scott Shore Lodge Chevrolet 23.552 133.747 51 51 ---.--- ---.---
2 33 Brandon Jones(i) Jeld-Wen/Menards Chevrolet 23.607 133.435 27 47 -0.055 -0.055
3 6 Darrell Wallace Jr. # Ford EcoBoost Ford 23.801 132.347 44 52 -0.249 -0.194
4 25 John Wes Townley(i) Zaxby's Chevrolet 23.807 132.314 24 25 -0.255 -0.006
5 88 Ben Rhodes Alpha Energy Solutions Chevrolet 23.855 132.048 32 48 -0.303 -0.048
6 16 Ryan Reed Lilly/American Diabetes Association Ford 23.862 132.009 33 34 -0.310 -0.007
7 18 Daniel Suarez # ARRIS Toyota 23.893 131.838 42 43 -0.341 -0.031
8 7 Regan Smith NAPA Synthetic Oil Chevrolet 23.939 131.584 2 38 -0.387 -0.046
9 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 23.943 131.562 33 49 -0.391 -0.004
10 3 Ty Dillon Red Kap Chevrolet 23.975 131.387 28 56 -0.423 -0.032
11 22 Ryan Blaney Discount Tire Ford 23.992 131.294 31 51 -0.440 -0.017
12 60 Chris Buescher Roush Performance Products Ford 24.020 131.141 5 53 -0.468 -0.028
13 20 Drew Herring Interstate Batteries Toyota 24.027 131.103 33 50 -0.475 -0.007
14 43 Dakoda Armstrong WinField Ford 24.066 130.890 35 45 -0.514 -0.039
15 42 Brennan Poole DC Solar Chevrolet 24.072 130.857 3 76 -0.520 -0.006
16 54 Boris Said Monster Energy Toyota 24.085 130.787 53 68 -0.533 -0.013
17 29 Kenny Wallace U.S. Cellular Toyota 24.089 130.765 34 35 -0.537 -0.004
18 1 Elliott Sadler OneMain Financial Ford 24.094 130.738 25 55 -0.542 -0.005
19 62 Brendan Gaughan South Point Chevrolet 24.142 130.478 11 24 -0.590 -0.048
20 14 Cale Conley # IAVA Toyota 24.199 130.171 43 43 -0.647 -0.057
21 8 Blake Koch Toyota 24.279 129.742 44 46 -0.727 -0.080
22 44 David Starr Zachry Toyota 24.318 129.534 24 25 -0.766 -0.039
23 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet 24.361 129.305 5 17 -0.809 -0.043
24 4 Ross Chastain # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 24.416 129.014 3 6 -0.864 -0.055
25 28 JJ Yeley Texas 28 Spirits Stage Toyota 24.420 128.993 8 54 -0.868 -0.004
26 39 Ryan Sieg Chevrolet 24.451 128.829 39 42 -0.899 -0.031
27 01 Landon Cassill Flex Seal Chevrolet 24.505 128.545 15 43 -0.953 -0.054
28 24 Eric McClure Reynolds Wrap Toyota 24.556 128.278 28 29 -1.004 -0.051
29 52 Joey Gase Iowa Donor Network Chevrolet 24.584 128.132 15 18 -1.032 -0.028
30 90 Todd Bodine P&L Transportation Chevrolet 24.732 127.365 13 30 -1.180 -0.148
31 26 Ryan Ellis(i) JGL Racing Toyota 24.858 126.720 20 42 -1.306 -0.126
32 97 Peyton Sellers # Vroom Brands Chevrolet 24.936 126.323 32 33 -1.384 -0.078
33 0 Harrison Rhodes # teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 24.969 126.156 8 20 -1.417 -0.033
34 15 BJ McLeod(i) BYB Chevrolet 24.972 126.141 7 7 -1.420 -0.003
35 70 Derrike Cope Adventureland Hotel/Moo's BBQ Chevrolet 25.385 124.089 9 12 -1.833 -0.413
36 13 C. Long / J. Jackson Braille Battery/Grafoid Dodge 25.452 123.762 16 32 -1.900 -0.067
37 74 Mike Harmon Absolute Machine Dodge 25.601 123.042 4 18 -2.049 -0.149
38 55 Jamie Dick Viva Auto Group Chevrolet 25.605 123.023 2 2 -2.053 -0.004
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 2 Brian Scott 31 40 130.339
2 9 Chase Elliott 37 46 130.053
3 3 Ty Dillon 27 36 129.979
4 60 Chris Buescher 32 41 129.807
5 33 Brandon Jones(i) 6 15 129.749
6 18 Daniel Suarez # 27 36 129.556
7 42 Brennan Poole 8 17 129.488
8 7 Regan Smith 28 37 129.472
9 16 Ryan Reed 9 18 129.457
10 20 Drew Herring 36 45 129.231
11 22 Ryan Blaney 40 49 129.116
12 88 Ben Rhodes 34 43 129.091
13 14 Cale Conley # 24 33 127.515
14 8 Blake Koch 1 10 127.414
15 54 Boris Said 10 19 126.630
16 26 Ryan Ellis(i) 7 16 125.911
17 13 C. Long / J. Jackson 19 28 117.235
* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - KAHNE EDGES JONES FOR CHARLOTTE TRUCK WIN
When Kasey Kahne is behind the wheel of a NASCAR Camping World Series Truck, he has a knack for winning.
Kahne added another win to his brief but successful NCWTS resume with his win in Friday night's North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Kahne, who was piloting the #00 Haas Automation Chevrolet for JR Motorsports, narrowly edged Erik Jones by just 0.005 seconds.
Jones once again put on a dominant performance by leading 88 of the race's 139 laps. Jones had managed to jump out to what looked like an insurmountable lead with two laps to go when the caution came out, forcing a green - white - checkered finish.
Kahne, who only led 21 laps, appeared to use every bit of the race track and even looked to make contact with Jones late in the race to give JR Motorsports it's first win in NCWTS competition in only it's second race. The victory also marks Kahne's manufacturer Chevrolet's 200th win in NCWTS competition.
"That was a great race," Kahne said. "The team made some great calls, Joe got the truck capable of running with Erik there at the end. I needed that final restart and once we got it, I was able to run underneath him. I knew what he had done and how he had kind of raced me earlier in the race when I was on his outside and how well it worked for him. So I thought once the caution came out I might have a shot again here so just tried to duplicate that."
"It was very close at the line, it was really close. I didn't know who won."
Kahne, who won the pole but was forced to start from the rear of the field due to unapproved repairs. The win is Kahne's fifth in only six starts in the Truck Series. His worst finish driving in the series is second place.
"Well, it's far from easy," Kahne admitted. "It's worked out really well. Every truck I've driven has been fast and have had good teams behind me starting with Jim Smith, I won a couple with him. When the #2 truck was on top back then. I won for Kyle Busch, I think two races and now for JR Motorsports. One for Steve Turner. All of those were just really good trucks and really good teams. I've been able to be in the right spot late in the race. That's kind of what it's all about."
Just one week removed from losing one of the most dominant performances in NCWTS history at Kansas, second-place finisher Erik Jones admits he's disappointed about the outcome but knows momentum is on his side.
"It's a bummer to come out second on that end, it really hurts," Jones said. "It's a shame when it comes down to a green - white - checkered like that and we can't bring it home. We had the fastest truck all night, and I hate it for these guys. That's two weeks in a row that we've had by far a faster truck than the field, and we can't do it. We'll have to work harder. We'll work harder every week, and we'll get there."
"The win will come. I feel like we'll be on a roll once we do get that one."
Jones qualified second for Friday night's race but also was forced to start at the rear of the field, due to being late to the driver's meeting.
Points leader and two-time defending series champion Matt Crafton remained aggressive throughout the course of the race leading 24 laps and was able to manage a third-place finish. The top-ten finish is the tenth of Crafton's career at Charlotte in just 13 career races.
Tyler Reddick, driver of the #19 DrawTite Ford, ran up front all night finishing in the fourth spot just ahead of his BKR boss Brad Keselowski, who rounded out the top five.
Despite Jones' dominant performance, Matt Crafton is still atop the NCWTS points standings with a 16 point lead over Jones. Crafton will put his points margin on the line next at Dover International Speedway on May 29th.
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race Number 5
Unofficial Race Results for the 13Th Annual North Carolina Education Lottery
200 - Friday, May 15, 2015
Charlotte Motor Speedway - Concord, NC - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 139 Laps - 208.5 Miles - Purse: $598,956
Leader
Fin Str Trk Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Driver Rating Winnings Status Tms Laps
1 1 00 Kasey Kahne(i) Haas Automation Chevrolet 139 0 122.1 $48,454 Running 2 21
2 2 4 Erik Jones # Dollar General Toyota 139 44 2 139.4 $36,563 Running 4 88
3 9 88 Matt Crafton Great Lakes/Menards Toyota 139 42 1 126.5 $26,622 Running 3 24
4 7 19 Tyler Reddick BBR Music Group Ford 139 41 1 112.1 $22,672 Running 1 1
5 4 29 Brad Keselowski(i) Cooper Standard Careers for Veterans Ford 139 0 102.0 $17,402 Running 1 4
6 11 05 John Wes Townley Zaxby's Chevrolet 139 38 89.9 $17,157 Running
7 17 17 Timothy Peters Red Horse Racing Toyota 139 37 88.5 $16,592 Running
8 3 51 Matt Tifft ToyotaCare Toyota 139 36 103.0 $16,481 Running
9 22 54 Justin Boston # ROKMobile.com Toyota 139 35 71.4 $16,342 Running
10 18 23 Spencer Gallagher # Allegiant Travel Chevrolet 139 34 77.3 $17,182 Running
11 16 8 Joe Nemechek FoneFuel Chevrolet 139 33 84.2 $15,761 Running
12 6 31 Scott Lagasse Jr. GunBroker.com Chevrolet 139 0 88.6 $15,566 Running
13 15 33 Brandon Jones # ProStock Chevrolet 139 31 72.1 $15,427 Running
14 13 13 Cameron Hayley # Carolina Nut Co./Cabinets by Hayley Toyota 139 30 91.1 $15,316 Running
15 19 98 Johnny Sauter Smokey Mountain/Curb Records Toyota 139 29 66.1 $15,606 Running
16 10 11 Ben Kennedy Local Motors Toyota 139 28 63.9 $15,295 Running
17 5 14 Daniel Hemric # California Clean Power Chevrolet 139 27 72.6 $15,040 Running
18 20 02 Tyler Young AKLInsrncGrp/RandcoIndstrs/YngsBldngSystms Chv 138 26 53.8 $14,984 Running
19 30 10 Jennifer Jo Cobb POW-MIA/Driven2Honor.org Chevrolet 137 25 41.2 $14,929 Running
20 29 1 Kyle Fowler(i) PowerAll/JoinAPS.com Chevrolet 136 0 38.4 $15,373 Running
21 23 63 Tyler Tanner Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool/Ski Soda Chevrolet 136 23 42.0 $13,546 Running
22 8 07 Ray Black Jr. # ScubaLife.com Chevrolet 135 22 53.9 $13,485 Running
23 27 74 Jordan Anderson Auntie Anne's/Corpe Consulting Chevrolet 135 21 38.7 $12,457 Running
24 26 75 Caleb Holman FdCntryUSA/LopezWlthMgt/VenusSwirlRazor Chev 133 20 45.9 $12,430 Running
25 28 94 Wendell Chavous # Vydox Plus Chevrolet 132 19 34.6 $12,525 Engine
26 21 15 Mason Mingus 811 Call Before You Dig Chevrolet 114 18 54.8 $12,347 Accident
27 14 92 David Gilliland(i) BlcksTire/GdyrCmmrclTireSrvcNtwrk/Wynns Ford 84 0 66.6 $12,318 Vibration
28 31 50 Travis Kvapil Burnie Grill Chevrolet 62 16 36.4 $12,071 Accident
29 12 08 Korbin Forrister # Tilted Kilt/Halcyon Chevrolet 38 15 30.1 $12,016 Steering Box
30 24 36 Justin Jennings Mittler Bros. Machine & Tool/Ski Soda Chevrolet 33 PE 45.3 $11,516 Electrical 1 1
31 25 45 BJ McLeod Tilted Kilt Chevrolet 26 13 32.4 $10,016 Electrical
32 32 6 Norm Benning Chevrolet 9 12 27.8 $9,016 Suspension
Race Comments: Kasey Kahne won the NC Education Lottery 200, his fifth victory in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. Prior to the start of the race, the following cars dropped to the rear of the field for the reasons indicated: Nos. 00, 23, 54 (unapproved adjustments); Nos. 1, 4, 45, 74 (late to drivers meeting).
Failed to Qualify: (3) 86 Brandon Brown, 28 Ryan Ellis, 40 Todd Peck.
Time of Race: 01 Hrs, 37 Mins, 01 Secs. Average Speed: 128.947 MPH Margin of Victory: 0.005 Seconds
Caution Flags: 5 for 25 laps: Laps: 21-25 (#08 spin turn 4 [1]); 64-69 (#50 accident turn 3 [11]); 106-109 (#07 accident turn 2 [54]); 116-121 (#15 accident backstretch [33]); 134-137 (#14 accident turn 1 [02]).
Lead Changes: 12 among 6 drivers: K. Kahne(i) 0; B. Keselowski(i) 1-4; M. Crafton 5-22; J. Jennings 23; M. Crafton 24-25; E. Jones # 26-65; M. Crafton 66-69; E. Jones # 70-108; T. Reddick 109; E. Jones # 110; K. Kahne(i) 111-130; E. Jones # 131-138; K. Kahne(i) 139;
Top 10 Driver Points: (1) M. Crafton 217;(2) E. Jones # 201;(3) T. Reddick 199;(4) J. Sauter 182;(5) J. Townley 160;(6) T. Peters 158;(7) C. Hayley # 153;(8) J. Boston # 149;(9) S. Gallagher # 145;(10) D. Hemric # 136.
Keystone Light Pole Award : Kasey Kahne, #00 181.342 mph Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race : , #4
Mobil 1 Driver of the Race : Kasey Kahne, #00 Sunoco Rookie of the Race : Erik Jones, #4
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Next Race: May. 29, 2015 - Dover International Speedway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875
KYLE BUSCH RETURNS TO SPEED - It hasn't taken long for Kyle Busch to become acclimated in his Sprint Cup ride after being injured at Daytona.
Busch, driving his No. 18 M&M's/Red Nose Day Toyota, was the fastest in Friday's Sprint Cup All-Star Race Practice. Busch ran 45 laps and recorded his fastest lap of the session on lap 44 with a speed of 188.884 mph.
"It felt really good," Busch said. "I was obviously optimistic about coming back and getting some laps in here at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Everything felt good with the M&M's Red Nose Day Toyota Camry, I was excited to get back in and see my guys. Just kind of get the taste of all that again but just trying to get a feel for being back behind the wheel the seat and all, it's been a while.
"As far as I was concerned everything went according to plan."
Defending All-Star Race winner Jamie McMurray laid down the session's second fastest time with a speed of 188.396.
Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the session's top five fastest drivers.
Sprint All-Star Final Practice
Charlotte Motor Speedway
31st Annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, May 15, 2015 @ 03:32 PM Eastern
Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed Lap # # Laps -Fastest -Next
1 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Red Nose Day Toyota 28.589 188.884 44 45 ---.--- ---.---
2 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet 28.663 188.396 36 39 -0.074 -0.074
3 4 Kevin Harvick Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet 28.684 188.258 34 34 -0.095 -0.021
4 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 28.705 188.121 39 41 -0.116 -0.021
5 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 28.770 187.696 47 48 -0.181 -0.065
6 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 28.805 187.467 51 53 -0.216 -0.035
7 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 28.840 187.240 8 45 -0.251 -0.035
8 5 Kasey Kahne Time Warner Cable Chevrolet 28.855 187.143 1 56 -0.266 -0.015
9 14 Tony Stewart Bass Pro Shops/Arctic Cat Chevrolet 28.938 186.606 41 47 -0.349 -0.083
10 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 28.963 186.445 39 40 -0.374 -0.025
11 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 28.973 186.380 21 25 -0.384 -0.010
12 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevrolet 29.051 185.880 25 42 -0.462 -0.078
13 19 Carl Edwards ARRIS Toyota 29.058 185.835 14 30 -0.469 -0.007
14 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet 29.059 185.829 43 50 -0.470 -0.001
15 47 AJ Allmendinger Kingsford Chevrolet 29.083 185.675 32 36 -0.494 -0.024
16 24 Jeff Gordon Axalta Chevrolet 29.109 185.510 52 52 -0.520 -0.026
17 31 Ryan Newman Cat/Quicken Loans Chevrolet 29.121 185.433 1 43 -0.532 -0.012
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
Pos Car Driver From Lap To Lap Avg Speed
1 41 Kurt Busch 28 37 185.338
2 22 Joey Logano 40 49 184.178
3 24 Jeff Gordon 5 14 183.621
4 5 Kasey Kahne 40 49 183.490
5 1 Jamie McMurray 22 31 183.477
6 4 Kevin Harvick 13 22 183.447
7 18 Kyle Busch 26 35 183.307
8 31 Ryan Newman 22 31 182.415
9 11 Denny Hamlin 26 35 181.533
* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
BIFFLE, BOWYER AND PATRICK MAKE ALL-STAR FIELD - The 2015 season has been frustrating for Roush-Fenway Racing and veteran driver Greg Biffle. But a glimmer of hope came Friday night as Biffle emerged victorious in the Sprint Showdown's first segment of 20 laps.
The win puts Biffle in the field for Saturday night's Sprint Cup All-Star Race.
“I’m so excited to be able to race for a million dollars tomorrow night,” Biffle said. "I’m excited to be in the big show."
Clint Bowyer would finish behind Biffle in second and pole sitter Paul Menard was third when the first segment came to an end. Austin Dillon and David Ragan rounded out the segment's top five.
It has also been a rocky season fro last year's Sprint Showdown winner Clint Bowyer was not to be denied in the second segment. Bowyer snatched the lead from Paul Menard after his four-tire pit stop and never looked back.
"We took four tires, so I had to go for it on the start," Bowyer said. "That's what a 20-lap dash is all about, beating and banging and going for it. You know after the first four or five laps you get sorted out and it's really hard to pass."
Paul Menard would finish in second place just ahead of Martin Truex, Jr, who battled an ill handling race car, in third place.
Sam Hornish, Jr, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.
(Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
While Danica Patrick finished ninth in the Sprint Showdown she was able to garner enough popularity in the Sprint Fan Vote to clinch her spot in Saturday night's race. In what was determined to be the smallest margin of victory in a Sprint Fan Vote, Patrick became the first driver to win the Fan Vote in consecutive seasons.
"I'm just very fortunate I have such great fans," Patrick said. "I wanted to race better tonight, for sure, but I know there's some things we can do to make the car better. Let's hope they work."
Unofficial Race Results for the 30Th Annual Sprint Showdown - Friday, May 15, 2015
Charlotte Motor Speedway - Concord, NC - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 40 Laps - 60 Miles - Purse: $690,071
Leader
Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Winnings Status Tms Laps
1 4 15 Clint Bowyer Cherry5HourEnergy/SpecialOprtnWarriorFndtn Toyota 40 $46,565 Running 1 17
1 2 16 Greg Biffle Ortho Ford 20 $46,565 Seg Winner 1 20
2 1 27 Paul Menard Serta/Menards Chevrolet 40 $32,245 Running
3 7 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 40 $27,970 Running 1 2
4 13 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Victory Junction/Shop.com Ford 40 $25,870 Running
5 11 25 Chase Elliott(i) NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 40 $24,870 Running
6 5 3 Austin Dillon Dow Chevrolet 40 $22,870 Running
7 15 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 40 $21,875 Running
8 14 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 40 $21,245 Running
9 8 10 Danica Patrick Mobil 1/Aspen Dental Chevrolet 40 $20,745 Running
10 9 13 Casey Mears GEICO Military Chevrolet 40 $20,495 Running
12 10 95 Michael McDowell Thrivent Financial Ford 40 $19,945 Running
13 17 38 David Gilliland Love's Travel Stops Ford 40 $19,695 Running
14 23 35 Cole Whitt Speed Stick Ford 40 $19,595 Running
15 21 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Burger King Toyota 40 $19,495 Running
16 22 26 Jeb Burton # Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota 40 $19,395 Running
17 19 98 Josh Wise Ford 40 $19,290 Running
18 24 23 JJ Yeley(i) Support Our Troops/Hope for the Warriors Toyota 40 $19,190 Running
19 26 30 Jeff Green(i) Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet 40 $19,090 Running
20 28 33 Alex Kennedy # HonorandRemember.org Chevrolet 40 $18,990 Running
21 29 66 Tanner Berryhill # Chevrolet 39 $18,865 Running
22 27 62 Brendan Gaughan(i) Chevrolet 39 $18,735 Running
23 12 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 39 $18,635 Running
24 6 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 38 $18,535 Running 1 1
25 25 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet 37 $18,435 Running
26 16 7 Alex Bowman Chevrolet 22 $18,335 Electrical
27 20 40 Landon Cassill(i) Snap Fitness Chevrolet 20 $18,135 Engine
28 18 32 Mike Bliss(i) Alpha Kansas Race Covers Ford 6 $18,035 Vibration
Race Comments: Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer won the two segments in the Sprint Showdown.
Failed to Qualify: N/A
Time of Race: 00 Hrs, 35 Mins, 10 Secs. Average Speed: 102.370 MPH Margin of Victory: 1.521 Seconds
Caution Flags: 2 for 0 laps: Laps: 20-20 (Competition [62]); 23-23 (#23 spin turn 4 [66]).
Lead Changes: 4 among 4 drivers: 0; G. Biffle 1-20; M. Truex Jr. 21-22; K. Larson 23; C. Bowyer 24-40.
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Next Race: May. 16, 2015 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875
MCMURRAY ONE TO WATCH AT CHARLOTTE - Former Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray was nothing less than dominant in last season's Sprint All-Star Race. This season he will attempt to become only the third driver ever to win back-to-back All-Star Races.
In fact, McMurray has shown prowess at Charlotte Motor Speedway throughout his Sprint Cup career.
McMurray, driver of the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing, has raced 25 times at Charlotte with ten top-ten finishes, seven top-five finishes and two trips to victory lane. No victory meant more to McMurray's career than his win there in 2002 in just his second Sprint Cup start.
McMurray qualified for Saturday's exhibition race by virtue of his win last season.
KNOW YOUR RACE HISTORY: THE ALL-STAR RACE - NASCAR first sanctioned what is now known as the Sprint Cup All-Star race in 1985. Then it was "The Winston" and Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural race.
While the first running was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the second race took place in Atlanta. It remains the only All-Star Race in NASCAR history run outside of Charlotte.
Jimmie Johnson has recorded the most All-Star race wins emerging victorious in 2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Dale Earnhardt, Sr, and Jeff Gordon are tied for second all-time with three victories each.
While it was not a points-paying race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, notched his first career win against Sprint Cup competition back in 2000's running of the All-Star Race.
As of now there various modes of entry into the All-Star Race; win in the season prior or the season leading up to the race or have a Sprint Cup championship, have a previous All-Star Race victory, win or finish in second in the Sprint Showdown, or get voted in by a popular vote.
The Sprint Showdown is a qualifying race which started as 30 laps but has since been extended to 40 laps in which the winner is given a spot in the All-Star Race. No driver has ever won the Showdown and the All-Star Race in the same season.
