Texas Motor Speedway Speedreads - March 9, 2016

SPEEDREADS

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T E X A S M O T O R S P E E D WAY

SPEEDREADS

johnson dominant early on 1.5-mile tracks

Texas Motor Speedway next 1.5-mile track on schedule where he has won five of last seven races PAGE 2

rockets 2 racecars NASA, Jimmie Johnson and TMS partnering in unique youth initiative PAGE 3

Jimmie Johnson Duck Commander 500 Defending Champion

dale jr. to race in o’reilly auto parts 300 Brian Vickers to drive for Tony Stewart in Duck Commander 500 PAGE 4

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SPEEDREADS

LEAD LAP

TOP NEWS FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Johnson dominant early on 1.5-mile tracks as tms is the next one on schedule The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season is only three races in and that small sample is plenty to determine who could be in contention when the series returns to Texas Motor Speedway for the Duck Commander 500 on Saturday, April 9.

Two of the first three races have been held on 1.5mile speedways at Atlanta and Las Vegas, similar to Texas Motor Speedway. The series’ next stop to a 1.5-mile track will be at Texas for the Duck Commander 500 and success at those two previous stops could be a strong indication for performance at this venue.

It comes as no surprise that six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson has excelled early this season on 1.5-mile tracks with a victory at Atlanta followed by a third-place finish last weekend at Las Vegas. Johnson, who holds the record for alltime wins on 1.5-mile tracks with 25, has six victories at Texas Motor Speedway. Last year, Johnson became just the third driver to win both Sprint Cup Series races at TMS in the same season.

“I think for the No. 48 car that older, rougher surfaces like Texas Motor Speedway play into our strengths,” Johnson said. “It’s a place that always seems to give

us a great opportunity to win.”

Johnson isn’t alone with early-season success on intermediate tracks. Defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kyle Busch has tallied a pair of topfive finishes in consecutive weeks while older brother Kurt Busch has led 93 laps during the previous two races. Both have experienced success at Texas Motor Speedway, each with one win apiece.

Brad Keselowski celebrates his victory in Las Vegas last week.

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski, a pair of drivers looking to snap winless droughts at Texas Motor Speedway, have proven thus far that this could be the year to end their streaks. Keselowski was victorious last weekend at Las Vegas, leading 24 laps en route to his 18th career victory. Harvick dominated much of the race at Atlanta, leading nine times for a race-high 131 laps, but was relegated to a sixth-place finish. He followed up his performance at Atlanta with another sixth-place finish at Las Vegas.

DID YOU KN OW ?

Jimmie Johnson crosses the finish line at Atlanta to earn his first victory of the season.

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The Duck Commander 500 at Texas Motor Speedway is the third-highest paying race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

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NASA, jimmie johnson, and TMS partnering on rockets 2 racecars youth initiative these activities, the forces of flight and motion. They also will learn how these forces lift planes into the air and hold race cars tight to the track at high rates of speed.

The 15 science teachers at the middle schools will be taught the curriculum through video conferencing with Langley’s educational instructors and they also will earn educational badges for their participation in the program.

Jimmie Johnson signs autographs at the Rockets 2 Racecars event last fall at Texas Motor Speedway.

Six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson, NASA’s Langley Research Center and Texas Motor Speedway have partnered together to bring the Rockets 2 Racecars STEM-based educational program to schools in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex.

A pilot program launch of Rockets 2 Racecars has been established for all five of the middle schools in the Northwest ISD –Tidwell, Pike, Chisholm Trail, Medlin and Wilson – that will commence in the coming weeks. The program will be added to the science curriculum of more than 1,600 sixth-grade students at those five middle schools.

“We partnered with Northwest ISD for our pilot program with the Texas Motor Speedway Speed-

ing To Read program in 2011 and it has become a huge success thanks to the district’s commitment to the concept,” Texas Motor Speedway Vice President of Media Relations Mike Zizzo said. “We believe that Rockets 2 Racecars is an educational and community extension of that program on the middle-school level with Northwest ISD. We’re proud to be one of the three speedways to be selected

by Jimmie and NASA to grow the program in our industry and we’re hopeful of expanding the program into several more Dallas/Fort Worth school districts for the 201617 school year.”

In addition to their enhanced education on STEM-related topics, the students will have the opportunity to visit with Johnson in Google Hangout sessions and at an exclusive event with him prior to the Duck Commander 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday, April 9, at Texas Motor Speedway. The speedway will reward the 15 instructors with a pair of tickets to the race and a pair to the top two students in each of their classes. The speedway also will provide a special Duck Commander 500 ticket package to all the students that participate in the program.

Rockets 2 Racecars, which focuses on Newton’s laws of motion, will provide the students a better understanding of racing and, through Te x a s M o t o r S p e e d w a y | M a r c h 9 , 2 0 1 6

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SPEEDREADS

DALE earnhardt jr. to race in o’reilly auto parts 300 Dale Earnhardt Jr. will get a double dose of racing action at Texas Motor Speedway during the upcoming Duck Commander 500 NASCAR doubleheader weekend. He will compete for JR Motorsports in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series race on the evening of Friday, April 8, and then for the Hendrick Motorsports Sprint Cup team in the Duck Commander 500 on Saturday, April 9.

Earnhardt Jr. will be looking to become just the second driver in Texas Motor Speedway history to sweep both the XFINITY and Sprint Cup Series races in the same weekend. Kyle Busch accomplished the historic feat in 2013.

Pulling double duty at TMS is nothing new for Earnhardt Jr. He has competed in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300/Duck Commander 500 double six times, including each of the last four years.

Earnhardt Jr. secured his first career XFINITY Series victory at Texas Motor Speedway in 1998 and owns six top-10 finishes in eight career starts. He has also visited Victory Lane in Sprint Cup competition at Texas Motor Speedway, winning in 2000, for his first win in that series. Last April, Earnhardt Jr. finished third in the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300, followed by third in the Duck Commander 500.

VICKERS to drive for stewart at duck commander 500

EDWARDS TO PROVIDE COMMENTARY ON FOX SPORTS 1 FOR O’REILLY AUTO PARTS 300

Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart held his first public press conference last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to discuss his recovery from a burst fracture in his back sustained in an all-terrain vehicle accident on January 31.

FOX Sports 1 will continue to add a “driver” feeling to its NASCAR coverage this year by having Sprint Cup Series stars in the booth during XFINITY Series broadcasts.

While Stewart did not provide a timetable on his return, racing in the upcoming Duck Commander 500 does not look promising. Stewart said Sprint Cup Series veteran Brian Vickers would pilot the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Chevrolet in races when the car is not carrying Bass Pro as the sponsor, which includes the Duck Commander 500.

Ty Dillon, the second replacement driver for Stewart, will compete in all the races Bass Pro serves as the sponsor of the No. 14. Dillon will still compete in the Duck Commander 500 as he will pilot the No. 95 car for Circle Sport – Leavine Family Racing.

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When NASCAR comes to Texas Motor Speedway for the Duck Commander 500 weekend on April 7-9, a familiar face will be behind one of FOX Sports 1’s microphones.

Carl Edwards, a former XFINITY Series champion, is scheduled to serve as an analyst for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 300 XFINITY Series race on Friday, April 8.

Edwards should be able to provide plenty of insight on a track where he has three NSCS victories.

Last year, Jeff Gordon provided insight on the same race for FOX Sports 1.

SPEEDREADS

SPLASH ’N GO

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NOTES FROM TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

texas motor speedway media day

Texas Motor Speedway’s Media Day is scheduled for Wednesday, March 30. This year’s event will take place at Gilley’s in Dallas (1135 S Lamar St., Dallas 75215) and will begin at 11:30 a.m. The day will feature NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and Prosper, Texas native Chris Buescher, NASCAR XFINITY Series driver and two-time winner at Texas Motor Speedway, Erik Jones, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver John Hunter Nemechek and IndyCar’s all-time leader in wins at TMS Helio Castroneves. Other guests include Willie and Korie Robertson of the popular A&E reality television show “Duck Dynasty”; Speedway Motorsports Inc. Chief Executive Officer Marcus Smith and Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage.

duck commander 500 media credential deadline

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Top-five finishes Jimmie Johnson (above) and Matt Kenseth each have at Texas Motor Speedway in NASCAR Sprint Cup races. They are tied for the most in track history.

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The percentage of times JimThe credential deadline for the Duck Commander mie Johnson has finished in 500 weekend is Friday, March 25. Credentials the top 10 in a race at Texcan be requested through www.smicredentials. as Motor Speedway. He has com. Those not yet registered for the website will amassed a track-record 19 such finishes first need to apply for access through the site. in his 25 starts.

Once a registration confirmation e-mail is received, the credential request can then be submitted. Requests following the deadline will not be accepted.

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY APP

Texas Motor Speedway’s free mobile app, with its upgraded features, is available for both iPhone and Android users via the iTunes Store and Google Play Store. The app provides exclusive content and promotions, helpful tools to navigate the speedway during race weekends, access to the Texas Motor Speedway fantasy league and more.

I love going to Texas. It’s a big race track and a fast race track. So for me I like running in the Truck Series and the XFINITY Series and, of course, the Sprint Cup race. But there is nothing cooler than going to Victory Lane there and celebrating with a cool trophy, getting a nice cowboy hat and shooting the six shooters off.

Defending Sprint Cup champion Kyle Busch on racing at Texas Motor Speedway.

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SPEEDREADS

RACEDAY U. returns for duck commander 500

RaceDay University with Coca-Cola, a staple for NASCAR race weekends at Texas Motor Speedway and one of the most popular ticket packages, returns on Saturday, April 9, prior to the Duck Commander 500.

NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick headlines the program that also includes Duck Dynasty’s Uncle Si and Sprint Cup stars Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman.

The $199 package includes Q&A sessions with all the guests; frontstretch grandstand seating; pre-race passes for the Loud and Proud Pre-Race Show featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd and driver introductions; hospitality food and Coca-Cola beverages; and a special souvenir gift bag. The event will be hosted by 1310 AM The Ticket’s Norm Hitzges.

To purchase the RaceDay University with Coca-Cola package or for additional information, contact the Texas Motor Speedway ticket office at 817.215.8500 or visit www. texasmotorspeedway.com.

GOODGUY SPRING LONE STAR NATIONALS AT TEXAS Motor speedway THIS WEEKEND Car enthusiasts from across the region will converge on Texas Motor Speedway for the sixth annual Goodguys Spring Lone Star Nationals beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday. The event features more than 2,000 hot rods, customs, classic, muscle cars and trucks thru 1972. Participants can take part in the Goodguys AutoCross or cruise around Texas Motor Speedway’s 1.5-mile speedway. Spectators can peruse the Swap Meet and Cars 4 Sale Corral, visit the vendor and manufacturer exhibits, enjoy live entertainment from the Texas Cotton Kings and Mighty Real Band, and more.

The festivities run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Friday and Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets at the gate are $20 for adults and $6 for children ages 7-12. Children ages 6 and under are free. For additional information, visit www.good-guys. com.

charlie robison to play portacool post-race concert Charlie Robison will perform at the Portacool Post Race Show following the Duck Commander 500 on Saturday, April 9 at Texas Motor Speedway. The concert is free and will start approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of the race.

Robison is known for albums such as “Bandera”, “Life of the Party” and “Unleashed Live”. He has also released “Good Times” and “Beautiful Day”.

Robison joins Lynyrd Skynyrd, who will perform the pre-race show, as the musical entertainment at this year’s Duck Commander 500.

Portacool will be sponsoring all three post-race concerts this season at Texas Motor Speedway.

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FINAL PIT STOP

SPEEDREADS

VIDEO SOUND BITES, SOCIAL MEDIA SNAPSHOT

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LIL’ HOSS TV

Defending Duck Commander 500 champion Jimmie Johnson discusses why he and his Lowes No. 48 Chevrolet are so dominant at Texas Motor Speedway. Johnson has won a TMS-record six times at the famed 1.5-mile race track. Click video to play.

FROM THE TWITTERVERSE

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SPEEDREADS

PUBLIC SCHEDULE

DUCK COMMANDER 500 WEEKEND EVENTS

SATURDAY, APRIL 2 8a

VIP & Outside Campgrounds open

TUESDAY, APRIL 5 9a-5p

Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours

WednesDAY, APRIL 6 9a-5p 10a

10a

Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours Reserved Infield Camping Opens (South Tunnel) Burnout Alley Load In (closes midnight Friday)

ThursDAY, APRIL 7

9a-6p Texas Motor Speedway Credentials Office Hours 9:30a NXS Haulers Enter 11a NSCS Haulers Enter 11:30a-6p NXS Registration Open 12p-8p NXS Garage Open 2p-6p NSCS Registration Open 2:30p-7p NSCS Garage Open 2:30 pm Gate 4 Open 2:30 pm Gate 2 Open for Victory Lane

Club Access Only 3p-4:25p NXS Practice 4:30p-5:55p NSCS Practice 6p-6:55p NXS Final Practice

FRIDAY, APRIL 8

9a-7:30p Texas Motor Speedway Credentials Office Hours 9a-7p NSCS Registration Open 9a-8:30p NSCS Garage Open 10a-7p NXS Registration Open 10a NXS Garage Open 1p Gates 3, 4 & 5 Open 1p Gates 2 & 6 Open for Luxury Suites and Victory Lane Club Only 1:15p3:30p NSCS “HOT PASS” IN EFFECT 1:45p-2:45p NSCS Qualifying 3:45p-4:45p NXS Qualifying 5p-7:30p NSCS “HOT PASS” IN EFFECT 5:30p-6:50p NSCS Final Practice 7:30p NXS O’Reilly Auto Parts 300

(200 Laps, 300 Miles) 12 am Burnout Alley Closes

SATURDAY, APRIL 9

12p-6:30p Texas Motor Speedway Credential Office Hours 12:30p-7p NSCS Registration Open 12:30p NSCS Garage Open 2 p Gates 2-8 Luxury Suites and Victory Lane Club Open 4:40p Loud & Proud Pre-Race Show powered by the Texas Lottery Concert featuring Lynyrd Skynyrd 5:30p-11p NSCS “HOT PASS” IN EFFECT 6:30p NSCS Duck Commander 500

(334 Laps, 501 Miles) 30 min Portacool Post-Race Show featuring post race Charlie Robison

TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY ticket info www.texasmotorspeedway.com 817.215.8500 Facebook: Texas Motor Speedway Twitter: @txmotorspeedway Instagram: txmotorspeedway

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