2016 NASCAR Mid-Season Update

BRAD KESELOWSKI

COPYRIGHT © IWANNA, USA LLC 2016

TURNING IT UP

KEVIN HARVICK

EAGER FOR REPEAT

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.

AXES GOLIATHS AT CHARLOTTE

2016 MID-SEASON UPDATE

chase elliott

NASCAR’S RISING SON HAS EYES ON THE CHASE, FIRST WIN

SPRINT CUP RACE RECAPS IN PICTURES

FREE

POSTE R INSIDE

nasCar hall of fame 2017 CLASS

BusCh Brothers

BACK-TO-BACK TITLES?

2 IWANNA® JUNE 28, 2016

race recaP

nascar 2016 miDseason UPDaTe

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race recaP Mid-seAsOn UPdAte PUBlisher/generAl MAnAger

PATRICIA M. BETTS

gVl regiOnAl sAles MAnAger

JAY SCHOEBEL

PrOdUCtiOn/it MAnAger

JEFF RUMINSKI

sUnDay, feB 21

sUnDay, feB 28

DayToNa 500

FoLDs oF HoNor QuIkTrIP 500 ATL MTR SPEEDWAY

• DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Most of the time, when an athlete talks about a “team victory,” it’s nothing more than a sports cliché. But DeNNy HaMLIN’s win in this year’s Daytona 500—by the closest margin in the history of the Great American Race—was a testament to the strength and solidarity of the Toyota teams of Joe Gibbs Racing and Furniture Row Racing, a JGR affiliate.

race recaP

CreAtiVe & COPY editOr

CARRIE HARDER COntriBUtOr

PETE ZAMPLAS PrOdUCtiOn

With wrecks erupting behind him, JIMMIe JoHNsoN took the checkered flag in overtime under caution in Sunday’s Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway—and then he remembered.

Almost lost in the euphoria of Johnson’s second straight victory at the 1.54-mile track was the realization that, with his 76th NSCS victory, he had tied the late DaLe earNHarDT for 7th on the all-time wins list.

DAVID DENTON RACHEL HOEFT DEBI MANFRE RANDY WHITTINGTON AdVertising COnsUltAnts

DIANA DAVIS PATRICIA DULA MURIEL HANEY PAM HENSLEY RICK JENKINS ROSE LUNSFORD TONYA MCMEANS CRYSTAL PRESSLEY

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sAles AssistAnts

JAYME PRESSLEY LESLIE MANTHEY distriBUtiOn MAnAger

SAM HOWELL

ClAssifieds MAnAger

ANGELA FRIZZELL CirCUlAtiOn COOrdinAtOr

HEATHER CLONTZ

sTP 500

• MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

kyLe BuscH came to Martinsville Speedway this weekend with no grandfather clock trophies from the shortest and tightest of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series short tracks. He left with two clocks after completing an unprecedented Martinsville sweep in Sunday’s STP 500. For the final restart on Lap 489, Busch pulled away to cross the finish line .663 seconds ahead of aJ aLLMeNDINger.

A Publication of

sUnDay, may 15

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aaa 400 DrIVe For auTIsM DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

MaTT keNseTH’s luck took a turn for the better, after JIMMIe JoHNsoN took a turn that wrecked half the field. In a thrilling 35lap run to the finish that featured kyLe LarsoN & cHase eLLIoTT in hot pursuit of Kenseth – and of each other – Kenseth manhandled a loose race car to the stripe, arriving .187 seconds ahead of Larson to win his first NSCS race of the season.

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NASCAR MID-SEASON UPDATE, a publication of IWANNA, has accepted contributions which may not reflect the opinion of the publisher. No portion of NASCAR MID-SEASON UPDATE may be reproduced without permission of the publisher.

BRAD KESELOWSKI

TURNING IT UP COPYRIGHT © IWANNA, USA LLC 2016

sUnDay, aPril 3

KEVIN HARVICK

EAGER FOR REPEAT

MARTIN TRUEX, JR.

AXES GOLIATHS AT CHARLOTTE

2016 MID-SEASON UPDATE

chase elliott

NASCAR’S RISING SON HAS EYES ON THE CHASE, FIRST WIN

SPRINT CUP RACE RECAPS IN PICTURES

Designed by Carrie Harder

FREE

POSTE R INSIDE

NASCAR HALL OF FAME 2017 CLASS

BUSCH BROTHERS

BACK-TO-BACK TITLES?

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legaCy Wonder Chase Chases Chase, first Cup Win “Putting it in the correct gear would be a good start...You can’t do dumb stuff, and expect to win... I messed that one up for my guys.”

POINTS

* Season to date stats as of 6/20/16

C

HASE ELLIOTT is having a sensational Cup debut as formidable Sunoco Rookie of the Year trophy favorite, running in the top half-dozen in points and nearly winning his first victory on the top circuit.

His Cup career is off to a blazing start. He is warming up into summer, notching top fives in six of nine racings heading into late June. He has both the third most top tens (11 of his first 15 races) and top fives (six). He averages a finish of 11.3.

He has a double dip of legacy pressure. William Clyde “Chase” Elliott II shares the name of his legendary, popular father, Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott. The 20-yearold succeeds newly-retired great Jeff Gordon behind the wheel of the fabled no. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet SS. Gordon’s 93 career wins are behind only Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105). His four Cup titles are behind only Petty and Dale Earnardt Sr. (seven each), and Jimmie Johnson’s six. Gordon is 44. He drove the 24 Chevy as rainbow-colored in 1992-2000, and again some last year.

Now it is a rich blue of prime (for

24 races) sponsor NAPA Auto Parts, which backed Elliott in Xfinity racing.

“Mr. Hendrick calling me to say he wanted me to be the guy was just a dream,” Elliott said. The 24 is “definitely a fast car,” and retains crew chief Alan Gustafson. Elliot’s goal is to rein in his dare, to finish races with “car intact.”

Elliott is sixth in points, as of midJune. That is best among Hendrick dr ivers, a nd just a head of sta r teammate Johnson. Johnson in 2002 and Tony Stewart in 1999 set the rookie standard, by each winning three Cup races.

Chase is most compared to Bill Elliott, now 60. The affable redhead was fans’ choice a record 16 years as their most popular driver. He won the Cup title in 1988. He won 44 Cup races (16th most), including two Daytona 500s. He ran NASCAR’s fastest qualifying speed ever at 218.8 mph at Talledega in 1987. He raced in the Cup over 37 years, in 1976-2012.

Father and son both hail from Dawsonville, in Georgia which has the Elliott Family Parkway. Bill was “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville.”

Chase could be “Babyface Chase

WINS

453 0 Who’ll Race at a Super-Sonic Pace from Outer Space to Thrill His Loyal Fanbase and Chase the Chase.”

Earnhardt can relate to the shadow of a famous father. “You are looking up this steep hill.” Elliott reasons that despite early success, “the on-track side is not going to get any easier.”

Yet he diffuses pressure. “I think it’s as difficult as you make it. We’re just focused on what we have going on in our circle, and trying to do the job that I expect of myself.”

Joh n son was i mpressed w it h Elliott’s curiosity as an Xfinity driver, wanting to find out more about the car.

Also, “he’s tested my cars. He’s been in our system for a long time.” Kasey Kahne is the other Hendrick driver.

Owner Rick Hendrick likes how Elliott adapts in-race to changing conditions and tactics. He first sized up the lad as a driver when Chase was 14, six years ago. He drove diverse Late Model cars under Bill Elliott’s guidance, across the East. “Bill told me about what he thought was the way Chase ought to come along,” said Hendrick, who sponsored him but said “you write the program.”

Chase landed a Nationwide (now

TOP FIVES

6

TOP TENS

11

Xfinity) full ride with J.R. Motorsports, owned by Dale Jr. Chase won that 2014 title at 18, as the first rookie to win a national series tile in NASCAR. He won three races. He tallied top-fives in nearly half (16 of 33) starts. He had 26 top-tens — in 79 percent of races. Then he was Xfinity runner-up to Roush’s Chris Buescher last year, ahead of Ty Dillon. Elliott had the series’ most top tens (27), with 11 of them top fives including one win.

Both years he was voted fan favorite as a chip off of the old block. He is a very slender chip — at 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds. Now that he graduated to Sprint Cup, he has cut back to part-time in Xfinity in JRM’s no. 88 and 5 cars.

He thundered onto the Sprint Cup scene this year, as youngest Daytona 500 pole-sitter ever. Johnson also won the 500’s pole as a rookie. He finished eighth in Atlanta, in week two.

Starting in week seven, he ran off top fives in six of nine races — fifth at Texas, fourth on Bristol’s short track, 12th at Richmond, then fifth at swift Talledega where he had the pole and led 27 laps. Next, he was ninth at Kansas, third on Dover’s high banks, eighth in the 600 in Charlotte, then

POLES

2

fourth at Pocono.

Elliott then peaked with second place at Michigan, June 12. He often led in those last two races, nearly winning. As Bob Dylan and Axl Rose sang, Elliott is “Knock, knock, knockin’ on heaven’s door” to enter Victory Lane. He led Pocono for more (51) laps than anyone. But he slowed when running low on fuel, slipped back after late restarts, and finished fourth. “I wish I had been a little more patient,” he reflected.

At MIS, he led for 32 straight laps after overtaking eventual winner Joey Logano after a lap 117 restart.

But he mis-shifted on a late restart, and lost the lead. “I definitely messed up,” he confessed. “Putting it in the correct gear would be a good start...You can’t do dumb stuff, and expect to win... I had another fantastic opportunity. I messed that one up for my guys.”

Hendrick said he told him “it’s OK when you run third, to act happy. Instead of beating yourself up, because you didn’t win.” But he sees success for his young phenom, as “the whole package.” written by pete zamplas

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points leader harviCK eXtends shr paCt, eyes seCond title

POINTS

* Season to date stats as of 6/20/16

K

EVIN HARVICK has what it takes to win his second NASCAR championship in three years — consistently finishing near the top on various types of tracks.

And he will have stability to pursue that, after extending his Stewart-Haas Racing deal a half-decade. Harvick said the deal, which had two years remaining, was restructured. He refuted rumors he was heading to Hendrick Motorsports to replace Kasey Kahne. Instead, his main change will be with SHR shifting next year from Chevrolet to Ford.

The 2014 NASCAR champion widened his Sprint Cup points lead to 30 over SHR teammate Kurt Busch after Michigan, where on June 12 he was fifth.

He has the best average finish in point races — 7.1 — of the pack this year, and in his career. His prior best was 8.7, in 2010 and again last year. Most elites average in double digits. Consistency and proficiency are crucial to staying in postseason contention.

He registered 12 top-tens in the first 15 races of 2016, including the first five races. He was top-five

seven times. Three were runner-up finishes — in Fontana, Kansas, and Charlotte’s marathon Coca-Cola 600.

Harvick prevailed at Phoenix, in week four. He edged Carl Edwards by four inches, in the mile track’s closest Cup finish ever. They twice banged fenders then doors in the final quarter-mile, in overtime of a race ironically named the Good Sam 500.

Harvick k new Edwards was faster on turns, gaining and putting him on “defense down there. I tried to protect the bottom in (turns) 3 and 4. But I missed it, with all the rubber build-up on the tires. I got up too high. Then he got into me, like he should have.”

Edwards figured “‘Man, I got him!’ But then he ‘doored’ me real hard and then he got a little run.

Then I tried to ‘door’ him, and slow him down. But it just didn’t work.”

Harvick agreed that “I needed to get a good run off the corner. I was going to have to get into his door. It worked out — barely.”

Harvick was dominant out of the gate. Starting in week two, he led for over 100 laps in three of four weeks — Atlanta (131), Phoenix (139),

WINS

526 1 then Fontana (142) in his native California. Later, he led at Dover for 117. He had the pole there, and at Richmond.

Harvick finished in the top five in final Cup standings three times last decade — in 2003, ’06 and ’08.

He has contended throughout this decade. He finished third in three of four years, with eighth in ’12 the blemish.

He won the ’14 title by a point over Richard Childress Racing’s Ryan Newman, by outracing him and two other finalists in the finale.

Harvick ran his first 13 years for RCR. He was runner-up to Kyle Busch last year, when he similarly led in points mid-way. So far, he is just ahead of the other (Kurt) Busch in ‘16. Harvick won titles in 2001 and ’06 in what is now the Xfinity Series.

Ha r v ic k has 32 ca reer Cup victories, averaging two over his 16 Cup seasons. He is peaking with nine wins in the last two and a half years, since joining SHR and with Rodney Childers as crew chief.

Harvick won four to five times in each of four seasons (2006, ’11, ’13 and ’14), and three each in ’10 and in 2015. Last year, he had a career-best

TOP FIVES

7

TOP TENS

10

and series-topping 23 top-fives and 28 top-10s. He had 26 top-tens in 2010, and 20 or more in ’06 and the last three seasons. He racked up an amazing eight poles in 2014. He led over 2,100 laps in both ’14 and ’15.

Harvick drives the no. 4 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet. He earns fa n s a “f ree bloom i n’ on ion” Monday at Outback per top 10 finish.

Harvick told Fox Sports his crew “fought all day” at MIS. “We had great pit stops. We were able to overcome some mistimed cautions agai n....We kept digg i ng.” He started 29th, reached third, then finished fifth.

But he lost ground when his car handled loosely, on a late restart.

Harvick and others have to get used to the new aero package.

It was tested at MIS, and will be again Kentucky July 9. It previews what NASCAR plans to require next season, to boost passing and lead changes. Reduced down and sideforce forces drivers to slow into turns, to offset a wobblier car. “This car is looser getting into the corner, which it should be with the spoiler cut off the back of it,” Harvick affirmed.

POLES

0

Harvick may have played it safer than others. In practice at MIS, a common drop in speed was about 30 mph from straightaway to turn one, Fox Sports commentators noted. But on race lap 74, Harvick was timed as dropping a whopping 43 mph — from 216 to 173 into turn one.

Kentucky increased banking of two turns, on top of new aero handling. After testing there, Harvick showed his attention to track details that can give him an edge. “There is a bump where the two seams of asphalt meet that’s about three quarters of the way around the corner” that will “move the car,” he noted. “You’re going to have to navigate it, as the speeds keep coming up.”

Harvick, 40, is 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. He has raced in Cup for most of the new millennial, debuting in 2001. That year, he twice won for Childress. He took over the ride of Dale Earnhardt, after his fatal last-lap Daytona crash started that season somberly. By now, Harvick has shed such ghosts, forged his own celebrity, and guns for a second title. written by pete zamplas

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nascar 2016 miDseason UPDaTe

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NASCAR 2016 MIDseason UPDATE

8 IWANNA® JUNE 28, 2016

NASCAR Welcomes Aboard Allegiant Air As First Official Passenger Airline

Allegiant Offers Flights To More Than 20 NASCAR Race Markets; Becomes Presenting Sponsor of NASCAR Goes West on NASCAR.com ASCAR and Allegiant Air announced today, during the NASCAR Fuel For Bu si ne s s Council® meetings in Las Vegas, a multi-year agreement designating the travel company as the Official Passenger Airline of NASCAR.

The newly forged partnership positions Allegiant as the firstever “Official Passenger Airline Partner” of the sanctioning body.

Allegiant will allow fans to take advantage of its convenient, ultralow-cost service to enjoy races in more than 20 NASCAR race

allegiant offers low-cost service to 20+ NASCAR race markets.

markets, including NASCAR’s entire west coast series of events in Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles.

“We are pleased to partner with a company that will offer travelers convenient options to the majority of our race markets,”

sa id Steve Phelps, NASCAR executive vice president and chief marketing officer. “Allegiant Air is committed to offering reasonably priced travel accommodations and services that provide our fans an opportunity to make lasting memories at the track.”

In conjunction with the start of NASCAR’s annual west coast swing, Allegiant is the presenting sponsor of NASCAR Goes West on NASCAR.com. NASCAR fans can follow drivers on their offtrack adventures on NASCAR. com and on social media using

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#NASCARGoesWest.

“A l l e g i a n t i s p r o u d t o announce this new partnership with NASCAR and NASCAR Goes West on NASCAR.com,” said Brian Davis, Allegiant vice president of marketing. “We’re incredibly excited to share the convenience and affordability of our service with NASCAR fans across the country, helping them to more easily enjoy their favorite sport.

As part of this integrated partnership, Allegiant Air joins the NASCAR Fuel for Business Council, which brings together an exclusive group of nearly 60 Official NASCAR Partners four times per year to buy and sell products and services from one another. This exclusive businessto-business environment offers unique opportunities for many Fortune 500 companies to bypass the time and layers of corporate coordination that may exist to construct customized deals that help address specific business needs.

—Nascar media

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[2016

STANDINGS]

STATISTICAL SERVICES courtesy of NASCAR MEDIA (AS OF 6/20/16)

[ 2016 Sprint Cup points

behind starts

Standings]

rank

+/-

driver

team

1

–

KEVIN HARVICK #4

STEWART-HAAS RACING

526

Leader

15

wins top 5 top 10 1

7

12

0

2

–

KURT BUSCH #41

STEWART-HAAS RACING

496

-30

15

1

5

13

2

3

–

BRAD KESELOWSKI #2

TEAM PENSKE

480

-46

15

2

6

10

1

4

–

CARL EDWARDS #19

JOE GIBBS RACING

472

-54

15

2

5

10

2

5

+3

JOEY LOGANO #22

TEAM PENSKE

455

-71

15

1

5

9

2

6

+1

CHASE ELLIOTT #24

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

453

-73

15

0

6

11

2

7

-1

JIMMIE JOHNSON #2

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

441

-85

15

2

6

7

0

8

+1

MARTIN TRUEX JR #78

FURNITURE ROW RACING

433

-93

15

1

2

6

2

9

-4

KYLE BUSCH #18

JOE GIBBS RACING

417

-109

15

3

9

9

1

10

–

MATT KENSETH #20

JOE GIBBS RACING

409

-117

15

1

2

6

0

11

–

DALE EARNHARDT JR #88

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS

383

-143

15

0

5

6

0

12

+1

AUSTIN DILLON #3

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

381

-145

15

0

3

7

1

13

-1

DENNY HAMLIN #11

JOE GIBBS RACING

380

-146

15

1

4

6

0

14

–

JAMIE MCMURRAY #1

CHIP GANASSI RACING

374

-152

15

0

1

3

0

15

+1

RYAN NEWMAN #31

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

369

-157

15

0

0

4

0

[ 2016 Xfinity points

behind starts

poles

Standings]

rank

+/-

driver

team

wins top 5 top 10

poles

1

–

DANIEL SUAREZ #19

JOE GIBBS RACING

490

Leader

14

1

6

12

1

2

–

ELLIOTT SADLER #1

JR MOTORSPORTS

469

-21

14

1

5

12

0

3

–

TY DILLON #3

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

455

-35

14

0

5

9

1

4

+1

JUSTIN ALLGAIER #7

JR MOTORSPORTS

422

-68

14

0

5

11

0

5

+1

BRANDON JONES #33

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

417

-73

14

0

0

7

0

6

+1

BRENDAN GAUGHAN #62

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING

412

-78

14

0

1

6

0

7

-3

ERIK JONES #20

JOE GIBBS RACING

411

-79

14

2

8

8

4

8

–

BRENNAN POOLE #48

CHIP GANASSI RACING

407

-83

14

0

1

6

0

9

–

DARRELL WALLACE JR #6

ROUSH FENWAY RACING

373

-117

14

0

2

5

0

10

–

RYAN REED #16

ROUSH FENWAY RACING

331

-159

14

0

0

0

0

11

–

BLAKE KOCH #11

KAULIG RACING

322

-168

14

0

0

2

0

12

–

RYAN SIEG #39

RSS RACING

312

-178

14

0

0

1

0

[ 2016 Camping World Standings] points behind starts wins top 5 top 10 poles

rank

+/-

driver

team

1

–

MATT CRAFTON #88

THORSPORT RACING

219

Leader

8

2

4

7

1

2

+1

WILLIAM BYRON #9

KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS

208

-11

8

3

4

5

0

3

-1

TIMOTHY PETERS #17

RED HORSE RACING

198

-21

8

0

2

5

0

4

–

DANIEL HEMRIC #19

BRAD KESELOWSKI RACING

186

-33

8

0

2

6

0

5

+1

TYLER REDDICK #29

BRAD KESELOWSKI RACING

182

-37

8

0

3

4

0

6

-1

JOHN HUNTER NEMECHEK #8

SWM-NEMCO MOTORSPORTS

175

-44

8

1

2

3

1

7

–

JOHNNY SAUTER #21

GMS RACING

174

-45

8

1

4

5

1

8

+1

BEN KENNEDY #33

GMS RACING

168

-51

8

0

1

3

0

9

-1

SPENCER GALLAGHER #23

GMS RACING

165

-54

8

0

0

5

0

10

+1

CAMERON HAYLEY #13

THORSPORT RACING

158

-61

8

0

2

3

0

11

+3

COLE CUSTER #00

JR MOTORSPORTS

154

-65

8

0

2

3

0

12

+1

CHRISTOPHER BELL #4

KYLE BUSCH MOTORSPORTS

149

-70

8

0

2

4

0

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NASCAR 2016 MIDseason UPDATE

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Glossary of

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Racing Terms

Bear grease: Slang term used to describe any patching material used to fill cracks and holes or smooth bumps on a track’s surface. It can also be used as a sealer on the track.

Lucky Dog: During NASCAR races, the Lucky Dog is the first car that is one lap down from the leader(s). When the yellow caution flag come out, this car is led around the field and put into order as the last car on the lead lap, effectively getting a lap back without having to pass through the field. This rule was put into place as a safety precaution to prevent cars from racing to the start/finish line when the track is under caution.

Marbles: Debris blown to the upper corners of a track that consists of smatterings of rubber peeled from tires, dirt and gravel. Some drivers blame marbles for a loss of control, though centrifugal forces might have a little something to do with it. Graphic artists went to great lengths to replicate marbles for an air of authenticity in the animated flick “Cars.” Also unaffectionately referred to as “loose stuff.”

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Big Brad’s Cup driven by Allmendinger contending for Chase F A local connection in Cup racing is retired NBA all-pro Brad Daugherty’s JTG Daugherty Racing, with A.J. ALLMENDINGER as the driver.

aster t han you can say Ant hony James Allmendinger, Big Brad advanced to the big circuit in 2009 after over 30 years of owning cars in other NASCAR series. The seven-footer is literally one of NASCAR’s biggest owners.

Co-owners are Jodi and Tad Geschickter — thus the initials JTG. They hope driver Allmendinger proves to be one “hum dinger” piloting the no. 47 Kroger/Hungry Jack/Crisco Chevrolet SS. It is powered by a Richard Childress Racing (RCR) engine. He follows Marcos Ambrose and Bobby Labonte with JTGD. Allmendinger made the Chase in 2014, finishing 13th after a first-rou nd elimination. The road course ace won at Watkins Glen. This was JTGD’s first Cup season with him as full-time

driver, and in a Chevy after breaking from Toyota. A.J. is under contract through 2020. He slipped to 22nd last year, with as many (three) DNF’s as top tens.

Midway this year, he was in 20th place. He was merely 27 points out of the top 16, in mid-June. He was within 57 points of these bubble drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr. (in 12th), Austin Dillon, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Ryan Blaney.

Daugherty has told Fox Sports he wants JTGD to finish in the top 15 in Cup points, granting it’s tough to surpass multi-car teams into the top ten. He eyes at least two wins per year, to “make some noise.” Since winning a race in ’14, “it raised the confidence of my team, which is important,” he stated. “Guys worked their rear ends off....(We’re) bolting together a race car that can go be competitive. On

any given weekend, we can ring the (victory) bell.”

Allmendinger nearly did so when he came in second at Martinsville. His other Cup top ten this year was eighth at Kansas. He averaged a 21st-place finish, in his 15 starts prior to MIS, where he was 38th. He was bumped out of the FireKeepers Casino 400 at Brooklyn, Mich. June 12. That was his first DNF of ‘16.

“I want to be a top-15 team every weekend,” Allmendinger told Fox Sports about consistency. The team’s enduring challenge is to run faster than a 20th-place car on ovals. The road course warrior secured poles at Sonoma and Watkins Glen in Cup racing last year. Yet he also briefly led on three other tracks, including Daytona. He finished in the top 15 seven times in ‘15.

He has won seven road courses

AJ Allmendinger celebrates with team owner Brad Daugherty in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Cheez-It 355 at Watkins Glen in 2014. (Tom Pennington/NASCAR via Getty Images)

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in Xfinity, where he now helps drive RCR’s no. 2 Camaro. That deal was revealed June 8. The Los Gatos, Calif. native, 34, won several IKF openwheel titles. In 2004, A.J. was the first American named Autosport International rookie of the year. He switched to stock cars in 2007. He raced in all four latest car brands — Toyota with Red Bull, Dodge then Ford (in ’10, his first full Cup year) with Petty, Dodge with Penske, and now Chevy.

At 5-foot-6, Allmendinger is a foot and a half shorter than his tallest co-owner.

Daugherty is one of this area’s most heralded sports celebrities ever. He starred as a basketball center. He led Black Mountain Owen Warhorses to the ’82 state finals. He went to North Carolina at age 16. He overlapped careers of Michael Jordan, Kenny Smith and Sam Perkins. The N.C. Sports Hall of Famer set the Tar Heel career field goal mark (since broken) at .620. He was an all-America, and the NBA’s overall top draft pick 30 years ago — in 1986.

NASCAR 2016 MIDseason UPDATE

Daugherty was a five-time NBA all-star, with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

He averaged 19 points. 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 548 games. He was a skilled passer and mid-range shooter, for a post player. He played eight seasons, until age 28. He retired early, in ’96 — two years into a lingering, sidelining lumbar back injury. This was the best Cavs starting lineup with him, forward Larry Nance, and guards Mark Price and Ron Harper.

Five times, Jordan’s Bulls KOed them in playoffs. Only LeBron James, who led the Cavs to the last two finals, has scored more points for the franchise than Brad.

Brad wore no. 42 for UNC. He chose 43 as his NBA jersey (which the Cavs retired), honoring his favorite athlete Richard Petty. The Daugherty family has a racing legacy. His father and uncles built hot rods, and drag-raced them. The JTGD website also notes that in 1985, Brad met star local driver Robert Pressley at New Asheville Speedway. Pressley, 57, son of short

track racer Bob Pressley, raced Cup for a decade starting in 1994. He led Busch (now Xfinity) in wins, in 1992. His son Coleman Pressley, 27, was in a dozen Xfinity races and is JTGD spotter.

Robert Pressley drove a late model team that he and Brad owned to MidAtlantic regional titles in 1987 and ’88.

Then he won a Nationwide race in ‘89.

Brad’s truck series drivers included Kevin Harvick.

Now 50, Big Brad remains an ESPN analyst on the NBA. He has commented on college hoops. He was in ESPN’s studio for NASCAR for seven years through 2014, as the sports’ first African-American commentator. He and NASCAR CEO Brian France co-founded the sport’s Diversity Council, and he has served on its Rules and Competition Committee.

Daugherty’s charitable causes include hosting a golf tourney to benefit the Presbyterian Home for Children of Black Mountain. written by pete zamplas

JUNE 28, 2016 IWANNA®

AJ Allmendinger and JTG Daugherty Racing’s family of brands revealed their Darlington Raceway Bojangles’ Southern 500 throwback paint scheme, raced by Topeka, Kan.-native Bruce Hill in the 1970s (1974-1977). The throwback No. 47 Kroger/Kingsford Chevrolet SS maintains its continuity with the red, white and blue theme. Hill raced in NASCAR’s premiere series for seven seasons, meeting Darlington Raceway’s requirement for paint schemes to fall somewhere into the 1975-84 era.

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Shell Continues Heritage Theme in 2016 with Darlington Southern 500 “Throwback” liVerY On nUMBer 22 fOrd Of JOeY lOgAnO dePiCts first PriMArY fOr shell in nAsCAr ome say heritage is everything and t h at c a n r i ng ve r y true to a brand that has a tremendous lineage in motorsports. Shell is excited to u nveil a com memorat ive paint scheme to run in the 2016 Bojangle’s Southern 500 that celebrates its first NASCAR primary livery.

It has been widely accepted and reported that Darlington R a c e w a y ’s “ T h r o w b a c k Weekend” for t he NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in 2015 was a resounding success. Some called it “one of the most enjoyable race weekends in a long time.”

The race teams, drivers, owners, broadcast team, manufacturers and fans alike were all on board for last year’s inaugural event.

Shell participated in the 2015 festivities with a paint scheme on the No. 22 Team Penske Ford

dr iven by Joey Logano that mimicked a LeMans-winning Por sc he pi loted

by Mario Andretti in the 1980s. The car also carried Shell branding from the 1950s era to coincide with the founding of Darlington Raceway.

“Last year’s car was a big part of Shell history, so this year we wanted to bring something to Darlington that celebrated our NASCAR roots and one that many fans would remember,” said Heidi Massey-Bong, Sr. Advisor for Motorsports and Sponsorships at Shell. “The Darlington paint scheme is the third commemorative car we are fielding with Team Penske in 2016 to celebrate our heritage in American motorsports.”

Shell, a player in motorsport technology around the world for

over 80 years, was relatively new to NASCAR when the company first became a primary sponsor in the mid-1990s. The company is bringing back its first NASCAR paint scheme to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its first win with 2000 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion, Bobby Labonte, who piloted the No. 44 Shell Monte Carlo to its first NASCAR victory in 1996 at Nashville Speedway in what is now the NASCAR XFINITY Series. Labonte owned the car himself before bringing the Shell sponsorship to Joe Gibbs Racing where he competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and the then Busch Series.

Ironically, Labonte drove the

JOey lOganO will drive the Throwback No. 22 Ford at Darlington in September. (Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images)

same paint scheme to victory lane at the “Track Too Tough To Tame” in his final win for Shell in 1998. The Darlington scheme that Logano will carry on his No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Fusion ran a number of races in the old Busch Series through the mid to late 1990s. The Darlington “t h r o w b a c k ” S h e l l p a i n t scheme is actually one of three commemorative paint schemes that Shell and Pennzoil will debut in 2016 to celebrate their U.S. motorsports legacy.

“I think it’s a no brainer to help celebrate Shell’s 20th anniversary of NASCAR involvement and run this cool paint scheme at Darlington on Labor Day,” said Logano. “It’s pretty neat that Shell is celebrating 20 years in NASCAR and even cooler that Bobby (Labonte) won at Darlington Raceway with this car, so it’s a huge honor for myself and everyone at Team Penske to run this look. Heritage is a main theme in everything we’re doing this year and it’s been great to have the support from Shell-Pennzoil in running paint schemes to help us commemorate the heritage of our team and the

heritage of our sport.”

At t he NASCAR All-Star Race last month Logano piloted the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford to victory lane with a special full-body mosaic that featured images of significant Team Penske milestones infused in the livery. Just last weekend, the No. 3 Pennzoil Team Penske Chevrolet dr iven by Hel io Castroneves ran in the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 carrying the iconic bright yellow colors of the “Yellow Submarine” of the 1980s. All three paint schemes were put on the track to showcase the winning traditions of Shell and Pennzoil over the years in American motorsport.

For more det a i l s on t he Pen n zoil and Team Penske r e l a t i o n s h i p, v i s i t w w w.

Pennzoil.com. To stay up-todate on the latest activities, be sure to ‘Like’ the official Pennzoil Facebook Page (www. facebook.com/Pennzoil) and follow Pen n zoil on Twitter (www.twitter.com/Pennzoil) and Instagram (www.instagram. com/Pennzoil).

—nAsCAr MediA

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24 IWANNA® JUNE 28, 2016

NASCAR 2016 MIDseason UPDATE

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NASCAR 2016 MIDSEASON UPDATE

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the busch brothers

CAN THEY PULL OFF BACK-TO-BACK WINS?

2016 Nascar

RISING STARS

Suárez, Lang, Chevrolet Among Winners at 2016 NASCAR Diversity Awards

9TH ANNUAL EVENT HONORS INDIVIDUALS & ORGANIZATIONS THAT CHAMPION NASCAR’S YEAR-ROUND DIVERSITY & INCLUSION EFFORTS he NASCA R Diver sit y Awa rd s r e cog n i z e t he people and organizations in motorsports t hat champion diversity and inclusion in 8 categories: Industry Ambassador,

Diverse Driver, Ignition Award, Diverse Intern, Institution, Partner, young Driver & Pit Crew.

Notable 2016 NASCAR Diversity Awards winners include: Driver Daniel Suárez, radio host Clare B.

DaNIel suÁrez, win ner of t he Ignition Award honoring a minority driver in the national series who exhibits leadership on & off the track. (Rainier Ehrhardt/NASCAR via Getty Images)

Lang, Roush Fenway crew members Rafael Diaz and Mike Russell & Chevrolet.

Driven by NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France, the NASCAR Diversit y Awa rds has become the leading means to recognize multicultural accomplishments across the motorsports industry.

The winners are chosen based on part icipat ion or support of NASCAR’s year-round diversity and inclusion initiatives including: NASCAR Dr ive for Diversit y, t h e l e ad i n g d r ive r a nd c r e w member development program i n motor sp or t s; t he NASCA R Diversit y Inter nsh ip Program, a paid internship program for ethnically-diverse candidates with

high academic standing from elite inst it ut ions; and t he NASCAR Opinion Leader Initiative, which engages multicultural community, civic, and professional organizations.

“Becoming more diverse and i nclusive is a huge priorit y at NASCAR and we continue to make long-term investments to boost female and minority participation across every level of our sport, on and off the track,” said Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations. “Widening our appeal is critical to our continued expansion and we are proud to honor today’s winners, and many others across the industry, for their hard work and support.”

—NASCAR MEDIA

NASCAR 2016 MIDseason UPDATE

26 IWANNA® JUNE 28, 2016

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Brothers hope for back-to-back Busch titles

Kyle & Kurt Busch hope a Busch wins the Sprint Cup championship for the second year in a row, following Kyle’s title in 2015.

O

f course, the native Las Vegas brothers differ in who the odds, NASCAR Gods and Lady Luck favor.

Together, they stand a great chance of supplying half of the Final Four. The best finisher in the grand finale Nov. 20 in Homestead-Miami, Fla. seizes the crown.

The Busches have a winning pedigree on strong teams, both pacing the circuit in various ways. Eac h has won a Cup championship. Kurt did it a dozen years ago as an emerging Roush Racing star, in 2004 when it was the Nextel Cup and when his brother debuted in the top circuit.

Kyle’s title was last year, 2015. Kyle has more career Cup victories — 37 to Kurt’s 28. Both rank in the top 25 all-time.

Kyle of four-car Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) by late June leads the circuit in victories (three), and thus heads the Chase standings that emphasize wins. His brother is fifth.

JGR teammate Carl Edwards is third, by winning twice. He bumped Kyle out of the lead on the last lap at Richmond, passing

him for the first last-lap Cup win ever in 120 races there. That denied Kyle a fourth win by now. But it was Gibbs’ 4th Cup win in a row.

Kyle dominated Martinsville by leading 70 percent (352 of 500) of laps. It was his first Cup win there. He was the first to ever sweep the track’s Cup, Xfinity and truck races. Next, Kyle triumphed at Texas. Then Edwards won at Bristol and Richmond. Kyle won again, two weeks later at Kansas.

JGR’s Matt Kenseth and Denny Hamlin also clinched a Cup berth by winning. But of the four, only Edwards is better than ninth in regular points.

Success breeds success for the reigning champ. Kyle calls it a “confidence boost” to have “good results, and having adjustments go our way and the cars to get better.

Kyle Busch has top-fives in nine of 15 races. This is two better than runner-up Kevin Harvick, and nearly twice as many as Kurt’s five top-fives.

Kurt Busch is second to only his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Ha r v ic k , i n t he ba sic p oi nt standings as of mid-June. Call him “Konsistent Kurt,” for he tops

Kurt (above) & Kyle (right) Busch. (NASCAR via Getty Images) them all with top-tens in 13 of the first 15 contests.

On average, so far Kurt finishes four spots (8.5) better than he starts in getting the most out of his car. Only Harvick (7.1) finishes better. The 8.5 is far better than erratic Kyle’s 14.5 (versus a start of 11.5). Kyle’s mark is ballooned by four DNFs — which is tied for second worst.

Kurt won the Pocono/Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400, in Lake Pond, Pa. on D-Day June 6. It was pushed back a day to a Monday, due to rain. That did not dampen the closing drama. With 30 laps to go, Kurt’s crew warned he’d likely run out of fuel two laps shy of the finish unless a caution came out — none did. “I kept finding ways to save fuel,” he said. He often took his foot off the gas and coasted, and even switched off the engine heading into turns. Then his crew figured he had enough, and urged him to gas it for the final lap on the longest front stretch in motorsports.

Kurt’s other best finishes are third each at Bristol and Kansas, fourth at Atlanta, and consecutive fifths at Dover then the all-star

exhibition. He finished outside of the top 10 merely twice, versus five (with three in a row) by the same time last year and 12 for the season.

He was more erratic in ‘15. He won twice — at Richmond and Michigan — but none in the second half.

So far this year, he has led parts of four races. He snared poles back-to-back — at Atlanta and hometown Vegas. When he won MIS in ‘15 it was in a Chevrolet.

Kurt completed a Motor City Big Three sweep, since he won there in a Roush Ford in ’03 then Penske Dodge in ’07.

Kyle Busch has been streaky.

He started supremely, better than when he won it all a year ago. In 2016, he finished in the top 4 in 9 of the first 11 races. He won the Can-AmDuel 2 prelude at Daytona, then began the regular season with 4 top-fives starting in the Daytona 500. After a 25th at Fontana, he was sensational with top-twos in five of the next six races including Talladega, sandwiched around a 38th at Bristol.

Then his words he suffered four “really, really bad” finishes of 30th

or worse in a row. The last straw was an early (lap 52 of 200) exit at MIS. Trash debris stuck onto Kyle’s grill, blocking air flow and triggering the engine to severely overheat and blow up. His crew had to put out the engine fire, in the garage. He finished last. He had the Phoenix pole. He led parts of ten of the first 15 races.

In 2015, he was 30th or worse only three times all year and only once from late June onward. He hopes to again scorch the field in late June and July, as in ‘15.

He won four of five races — at Sonoma, Calif., Kentucky, New Hampshire and Indy. He was second at Watkins Glen, two weeks after that.

Kyle later finished strong in the Chase, with top-fives five of the last six contests. Topping it off, he won the ’15 championship by doing best among the four finalists at Homestead Nov. 22.

“He amazes me” with greater driving patience this year, Jeff Gordon said of the driver known for his temper.

Kurt has mellowed over time.

He drives the Haas Automaton/ Monster Energy 41 Chevy. He is 5-foot-11, and weighs 150. Kurt turns 38 on Aug. 4; this Leo wants to be NASCAR king again. Kyle is bigger, at 6-1 and 185. He drives the no. 18 M&M’s RWB Toyota Camry. He turned 31 on May 2. As a Taurus, it seems he should drive for Ford. Kyle is bullish about his chance to repeat as champion.

An early test is July 9, when Kentucky has reduced downforce and speeds into turns on a test basis as MIS did. This varies cars’ speed for greater passing. Kurt on lap 69 at MIS boldly veered from the wall down low, for more passing room.

By the time the dust clears in the finale at Homestead, it is very possible that a Busch raises his arm in triumph. written by pete zamplas

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NASCAR 2016 MIDSEASON UPDATE

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Childress, Hendrick, Martin, Parks and Parsons Comprise Hall’s Eighth Class

RICHARD CHILDRESS

Any trip to the NASCAR Hall of Fame puts fans face-to-face with some of th e sp or t 's mos t remarkable artifacts, stories and legends.

F

ive more of those all-timers will live on forever, as NASCAR announced the inductees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

The five-person group consists of Richard Childre s s, Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Raymond Parks & Benny Parsons.

RICHARD CHILDRESS Long before he became one of the preeminent car owners in NASCAR histor y, Richard Childress was a race car driver with limited means. Childress, the consummate self-made racer, was respectable behind the wheel. Between 1969-81 he had six top-five finishes and 76 top 10s in 285 starts, finishing

fifth in the NASCAR premier series standings in 1975. Having formed Richard Childress Racing in 1972, Childress retired from driving in 1981. He owned the cars that NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt drove to six championships and 67 wins between 1984-2000. In addition to Earnhardt’s championships, Childress drivers have given him five others. Childress was the first NASCAR owner to win owner championships in all three of NASCAR’s national series, and his 11 owner titles are second all time. Childress also owned the vehicles driven by NASCAR XFINITY Series driver champions Clint Bowyer (2008) and Austin Dillon (2013), as the 2011 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver champion Austin Dillon.

RICK HENDRICK Th e fo un de r an d ow n e r of Hendrick Motorspor ts, Rick H e n dr ick ’s or g aniz atio n is recognized as one of NASCAR’s mos t succe s s f ul. Hen drick

RICK HENDRICK

MARK MARTIN

Motorsports owns an all-time record 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car owner championship titles – six with Jimmie Johnson, four with Jeff Gordon and one with NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte. Hendrick also has 14 total NASCAR national series owner championships, most in NASCAR history. Gordon and Labonte combined to win four consecutive titles from 1995-98. In 2010, Johnson won a record-extending fifth conse cutive championship.

Hendrick also owned the car driven by 2003 NASCAR XFINITY Series driver champion Brian Vickers. Hendrick’s 242 owner wins in the premier series rank second all-time.

MARK MARTIN He is often described as the “greatest driver to never to win a championship,” but Mark Martin’s legendary career is so much more than that. He came incredibly close to that elusive title many times – finishing second in the championship

RAYMOND PARKS

standings five times. Over the course of his 31-year premier series career, Martin compiled 40 wins (17th all time) and 56 poles (seventh all time). Martin saw success at every level of NASCAR. He won 49 times in the NASCAR XFINITY Series, holding the series wins record for 14 years. He retired with 96 wins across NASCAR’s three national series, seventh on the all-time list. In 1998, Martin was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

RAYMOND PARKS Raymond Parks is one of stockcar racing’s earliest – and most succe s s f ul – te am owner s.

Funded by successful business and real estate ventures in Atlanta, Parks began his career as a stock-car owner in 1938 with drivers Lloyd Seay and Roy Hall. His pairing with another Atlantan, mechanic Red Vogt, p ro du c e d e quip m e nt g o o d enough to dominate the sport in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

Red Byron won the first NASCAR

BENNY PARSONS title (modified, 1948) and first premier series title (1949) in a Parks-owned car. Parks’ team produced two premier series wins, two poles, 11 top fives and 12 top 10s in 18 events.

BENNY PARSONS Benny Parsons won the 1973 NASCAR premier series championship and could be called an everyman champion: winning enough to be called one of the sport’s stars but nearly always finishing well when he wasn’t able to reach Victory Lane. He won 21 times in 526 career starts but finished among the top 10 283 times – a 54 percent ratio. One of Parsons’ biggest victories came in the 1975 Daytona 500. He was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

Parsons also was known as a voice of the sport making a seamless transition to television following his NASCAR career. He was a commentator for NBC and TNT until his passing in 2007, at the age of 65.

LANDMARK AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTIONS TO NASCAR: H. CLAY EARLES One of the original pioneers of stock car auto racing, H. Clay Earles played an integral role in the early years of NASCAR’s development. Earles built and opened Martinsville Speedway in 1947, and the short track remains the only facility to host NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races every year since the series’ inception in 1949. The speedway held its first race on Sept. 7, 1947 – three months before the creation of NASCAR. That initial race drew more than 6,000 fans to the track, which had just 750 seats ready. In 1964, Earles decided it was time for a “different” type of trophy for his race winners. He gave winners grandfather clocks, a tradition that continues today.

COURTESY OF NASCAR MEDIA & ISC ARCHIVES/GETTY IMAGES

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lOGaNO, keselOWski turN it up at MichiGaN JOEy LOGANO and BRAD KESELOWSKI sparkled at Ford and Penske Racing’s home track at Michigan, as Logano won and his Penske partner was fourth to surge them both into the top five in Cup point standings and as title contenders.

k

eselowski is third in points a nd second i n Chase standings, as of mid-June.

The win at MIS vaulted Logano three spots to fifth in points. Last year, Logano was sixth and Keselowski seventh in final Cup standings. Logano was fourth in 2014. Keselowski finished in the final top five for three of four seasons concluding with ’14, when he was the highestranking driver outside of the Chase’s final four.

Both locked into the Chase, by r e ac h i ng Vic tor y La n e.

Keselowsk i already has two wins — at Las Vegas, and on the Talladega superspeedway. He won the most (six) Cup races of anyone in 2014.

Logano had five wins in ‘14.

He then led the circuit with six victories in 2015. Logano has the most (12) wins in the past two and a half years — in 2014, ’15 and so far in ‘16.

This was Logano’s first pointrace t r iu mph of 2016, a f ter winning the All-Star exhibition in Charlotte, and his 15th career win. “We’ve been knocking on the door for a win all season,” he said, elated to “lock ourselves into the Chase.” He called it “perfect execution” for crew chief Todd Gordon’s fuel and tire strategy, pit stops and his brisk restarts and passing.

The pole-sit ter racked up his seventh finish in a row of ninth or better on the two-mile superspeedway, and also won there in 2013. Keselowski notched his tenth straight of 13th or better at MIS. For t hem it wa s a n “up” day amidst less dow n force,

as NASCAR experiments with its expected 2017 aero package to slow corner speeds for more maneuvering and passing. Thus in NASCAR’s version of driver “Star Wars,” they hope “May the (remaining) DownForce be with you.”

The victory June 12 in t he FireKeepers Casino 400 was also the 99th career Cup win for their owner, Roger Penske, with half (50) in Fords. Penske has owned Michigan International Speedway, in Irish Hills in Brooklyn, Mich.

70 miles west of the Motor City.

“Ford — this is in their backyard.

It’s Roger’s backyard,” Logano said, right after winning. “This is a great place to win.”

“I’m glad a Team Penske car won,” Keselowski, 32, said. He grew up in the northern Detroit s u b u r b o f Ro c h e s t e r H i l l s .

“Hometown. Get a win for Ford” in front of Henry Ford’s greatgrandson Edsel Ford II, and his eldest son Henry Ford III, 36.

This also marked the 100th Cup victory for Roush yates engines that power all Sprint Cup Fords.

Ford leads automakers with 35 Cup wins at Michigan, outdoing rival Detroit automaker G.M. which has many more teams and newcomer Toyota.

“We had a really fast (no. 2) Miller Lite Ford,” Keselowski said.

“We had a shot to win this one. Just couldn’t quite get the push on the restart, needed to clear Joey. I got swallowed in the pack, trying to make sure I didn’t wreck them.”

Logano’s no. 22 yellow Shell/ Pennzoil Ford Fusion shined all day. He led for more than twothirds of the race — 138 of the 200 laps — and ran no worse

JOEY LOGANO POINTS

WINS

455 1 9 2 TOP TENS

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BRAD KESELOWSKI POINTS

WINS

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480 2 6 10 1 TOP TENS

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* Season to date stats as of 6/20/16 than second. “you feel like you’re supposed to win,” he said, “when you have a car that good and lead that many laps.”

Nine cautions shrunk his big leads, retightening the pack. But he rebuilt margins by winning most restarts, including the final one with seven laps to go. Logano passed runner-up Chase Elliott on lap 153 — just past the threefourths mark — and kept the lead to win by nearly a full second.

Logano’s 196 mph was the fastest lap of the afternoon.

The teammates differed in fuel strategy; Keselowski’s initial pit was much later. That backfired some, as the first caution was not until lap 47 — furthest into a race at MIS this decade. He and his crew chief Paul Wolfe are tactical “contrarians,” Darrell Waltrip said on Fox Sports during the race.

Logano was the Cup Series’ 10th different race winner in the first 15 races, and different winner for the seventh week in a row.

NASCAR’s youth movement was historically in full force at MIS. Logano, 26; Elliott, 20; and Kyle Larson, 23, averaged the youngest (23) top three finishers ever in a Cup race. The prior 24.7 mark was

last made in 1951. “The future of NASCAR is present,” Logano proclaimed. “It’s going to be big.

It’s amazing to see.”

Logano climbed out of his car clutching his steering wheel, after winning at MIS. That reflected how extra skill was needed with the new setup also in the all-star race he won, and lastly at Kentucky in July.

“Those drivers had to drive today,” Fox Sports’ Jeff Gordon said about reduced downforce and sideforce. It forced drivers to let up 30-45 mph into turns to lessen chance of “spinning around, backing into the wall,” then gas it onto straightaways, he noted.

“They did an amazing job. It was great racing.”

Results are more varied pace and passing as some get the jump on others, rather than all zooming in a line full-tilt with superb traction.

Restarts and pit stops were also more dramatic.

NA S C A R k e e p s s l a s h i n g downforce — from 3,500 to 2,700 pounds a year ago, to 2,000 this year, then one-fourth more to 1,500 at MIS as a dress rehearsal for ’16. This was from shortening the spoiler from 3.5 to 2.5 inches

(shortest in 40 years, Waltrip noted), and the front splitter beneath the car from five to two inches. The deck fin was also smaller. Such changes also reduce the axle’s dynamic rear skew, and in turn car angling and sideforce.

Keselowski said, “the cars are a handful. But I got all that I asked for. Mission accomplished.

In general, it’s a step in the right direction as far as putting the cars in the hands of the drivers.”

Logano said he eased into turns after the first lap, when “barreling” into turn one. “I thought I was King Kong,” he said, and nearly crashed. He grinned saying how “the cars were out of control.

Crazy. It makes it a lot of fun. If you’re in that pack, you’re going faster down the straightaways. you’re getting a huge draft, when cars are side by side in front of you. you have no downforce at all, especially when you’re three-wide. your angles are off going into the corner, and you’re trying to clear them. Everyone is racing hard.”

Especially on MIS’ wide, smooth track “it’s a recipe for disaster,” he concluded. “you’re right on that ragged edge, and that’s awesome.” written by pete zamplas

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S G Power Equipment 1031 Spartanburg Hwy Hendersonville, NC 28792

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‘SUPERMAN KICKED BATMAN’S BUTT’: JIMMIE IS EAGER TO SHIMMY BACK UP TO THE TOP

JIMMIE JOHNSON’s championship dominance was amazingly consistent and predictable a half-decade ago, but now he is less of a spotlight though he still lurks as a formidable contender.

J

oh nson, 40, is t he on ly driver to ever win five Cup championships in a row (2006-2010). Few teams let alone individuals compare to such a half-decade title streak in any sport; Bjorn Borg won five Wimbledons in a row in 1976-80.

Leading dynastic teams, UNC Lady Tar Heels won nine straight soccer titles (1986-94), and 21 of 31 overall. The Celtics ran off eight NBA titles in a row, starting in 1959. UCLA Bruins were supreme in men’s hoops for seven years in 1967-73, and in 10 of 12 seasons.

The Canadiens won five NHL crowns in 1956-60. The Yankees won it all in 1949-53, matching Johnson’s streak. Michael Jordan’s

Bulls sandwiched a pair of three titles streaks around a two-year gap, when His Airness tried pro baseball.

Johnson added a sixth title in 2013, to rank second all-time.

Johnson nearly got two titles early, starting in his second full-ride year. He was title runner-up in ’03 and ’04, to Roush Ford drivers Matt Kenseth then Kurt Busch.

Had Johnson won both of those times, he’d have the record.

He is merely one behind both Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt.

Many thought he’d eclipse them by now. Johnson looks to again snaps a two-year title drought, and win it all in 2016.

He is in the hunt, in the 48

POINTS

WINS

441 2 L o w e ’s / K o b a l t H e n d r i c k Motorsports Chevrolet SS. By late June, Johnson was seventh in points -- a spot behind rookie sensation teammate Chase Elliott.

HMS’ other two lag behind — Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 11th, and Kasey Kahne 17th in points and on the bubble for the 16-driver Chase.

Johnson was fourth in Chase standings that better reward wins.

He won twice in four weeks — at Atlanta in week two, then at his home track of Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. for his sixth Cup victory there in 22 tries.

This was part of a stretch with top-

TOP FIVES

6

TOP TENS

7

fives in five of eight races.

But he is much streakier than usual. He slipped to an average of 17th in his last nine races, through mid-June. Overall, he averages a finish of 12.6 that mirrors his starts of 13.0.

His six top-fives are tied for third best. But his seven top-tens lag back, tied for eighth. Further, he had a faster start last year, when he won four of the first 13 Cup contests.

Winning races helps drivers advance in Chase elimination rounds, leading to the winnertake-all finale among four finalists.

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The man from El Cajon shows muc h “cojones” (courage) as ne eded, a l so d i sc ipl i ne a nd patience to make his move with guidance from ace crew chief Chad Knaus. For instance, as he said, “we saved our best for last, for sure” at Fontana. He outdueled another Californian, Kevin Harvick, in overtime. On the last restart’s fourth and final extra lap, leader Denny Hamlin went outside as they broke out. Harvick was ahead of Johnson, inside, and had run faster all day.

Johnson pushed Harvick past Hamlin on turn one, dove inside of him, then gunned it. “I got a great run off of turn two,” Johnson said.

“I thought, ‘Man, I’ve got a shot.”

He surged ahead, to win by .77 of a second. “I cleared him, and got away.”

He is 5-foot-11, 175. But on such days, he felt like Superman. In fact, his car was adorned with a Superman logo to plug the film “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice.” Earnhardt Jr. drove the Batman car, and finished merely 11th. Johnson said that ahead of the race, “I told everybody Superman kicked Batman’s butt — and it happened.”

Johnson with that win passed Dale Sr. into seventh all-time in Cup wins — with 77. Fourth place is within reach. He trails Cale Yarborough by six, Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison by seven, and newly-retired Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon by 16. Gordon owns the 48 car, and now can root on Johnson from the broadcast booth. written by PETE ZAMPLAS

* Season to date stats as of 6/20/16

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RECAPS

martin truex

STILL FIGHTING

Left: Channing Tatum and 22

NASCAR Partners with Steven Soderbergh on Heist-Themed Film Project

Jump Street co-star Jonah Hill with Danica Patrick at Pocono in 2014.

NASCAR Via Getty Images

cHaNNiNG TaTUm TO sTar iN “LOGaN LUcKY” FOr sOderBerGH’s reTUrN TO BiG screeN A S C A R ® i s c ol l a b or at i n g w it h A c a d e m y Aw a r d winning director Steven Soderbergh on a feature film entitled Logan Lucky, starring Channing Tatum alongside Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, Adam Driver and Seth MacFarlane. Depicting a theoretical heist at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the project will mark Soderbergh’s first feature film

since announcing his retirement from the film industry in 2013.

Soderbergh, who also directed heist film Ocean’s Eleven, is best known for his work on the critically acclaimed Traffic and Erin Brockovich, which garnered him two Oscar nominations and the accolade of Best Director.

This will not be Tatum’s first experience working with NASCAR or Soderbergh. He and 22 Jump

Street co-star Jonah Hill served as grand marshals for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ Pocono 400 in 2014, while Tatum and Soderbergh previously teamed up for the Magic Mike films, Haywire and the 2013 thriller Side Effects, which was the most recent film project

led by the acclaimed director.

“We are excited to work with Steven, Cha n n i ng a nd all of Logan Lucky’s incredible cast and producers,” said Zane Stoddard, NA S C A R v ic e p r e s id e nt o f entertainment marketing and content development. “It’s a big-

hearted, fun story that showcases NASCAR and Charlotte Motor Speedway as t he world-class sports entertainment property and venue that they are, much like the Bellagio in Steven’s Ocean’s Eleven.”

Logan Lucky is tentat ively scheduled for release in Fall 2017.

Mark Johnson, Gregory Jacobs and Reid Carolin are producing. Zane Stoddard is executive producing for NASCAR. Pre-production filming will began at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, May 29.

—Nascar media

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The 2016 Daytona 500 ended with the closest finish in the race’s history. Here are some other close finishes in NASCAR history:

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Left: NASCAR, International Speedway Corporation and Daytona International Speedway employees planting dune daisies at Riverfront Park in Daytona Beach as part of the NASCAR Green Clean Air Tree Planting Program. (Photo

courtesy Daytona International Speedway)

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ince its launch in 20 08, NASCAR Green has grow n i nto t he largest sustainability program in all of sports and one of the most powerful and impactful green programs in the public and private sectors. Once coined ‘the dirtiest sport in America,’ NASCAR now boasts t he three largest green programs in sports: renewable energy, recycling and clean air.

As a result, 75 percent of NASCAR fans now say they ‘believe the sport cares for the environment’ and are ‘aware of NASCAR Green,’ according to Custom Environment-Related Tracker commissioned by NASCAR and conducted by Toluna in July 2013. Since its inception, NASCAR has

recycled more than 20 million bottles and cans; 600,000 race tires; and enough oil to power the Empire State Building for one year. It has also planted enough trees to completely offset carbon emissions for all NASCAR national series racing for the past five years of NASCAR Green, plus the next 18 years. NASCAR has the largest renewable energy stadium project in the world – the solar farm at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway – that powers more than 250 homes in the region.

The sport also features teams such as Roush Fenway Racing which recycle as much as 96 percent of each race car. For more information go to www.

NASCAR.com/Green or follow @NASCARGreen.

—Nascar media

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DOMINANCE: TRUEX AXES GOLIATHS AT CHARLOTTE “We’re as good as anyone out there... We keep fighting. We never give up. We keep digging.” * Season to date stats as of 6/20/16

MARTIN TRUEX JR. was perfection in motion in one of the most dominant start-to-finish victories in NASCAR history, winning the Coca-Cola 600 on NASCAR’s home track and leading all but eight of its 400 laps.

T

ruex made history May 29, by leading 392 of 400 laps and 589 miles which are the most of any Cup race ever.

He destroyed the prior mark of 335 laps, also at Charlotte Motor Speedway (CMS) in Concord. It was set a half-century ago in 1967,

by Jim Paschal in what was the World 600.

Truex is the first driver to earn a perfect 150 rating for a Cup race at Charlotte. He was the third person to win it as pole-sitter.

Fresh off of a career-best fourth in Sprint Cup standings last year, he is eighth in points heading into late June. He is assured of competing in the Chase, by winning his first race of 2016.

The amazing dominance he exerted alerts others Truex could be a force, if he gets hot and it all comes together as it did in Charlotte.

“It’s really neat, to bring that name home in Victory Lane. It’s an amazing day...a weekend you dream about,” Truex said in his post-game interview. “We’re as good as anyone out there,” he has proclaimed. He proved it on this very memorable day. He cited

as a patriotic bonus, “we got the troops (honored by emblems) on the cars. It’s a special (Memorial Day) weekend.”

Furniture Row Racing became the first single-car team to ever get a driver into the Chase, doing so in 2013 with Kurt Busch then Truex last year. Both did so in their second years with FRR. FRR wants to buck the odds, and win one for the “little guy.”

But the last time a single-car team won the Cup crown was 24 years ago, by “Polish Prince” Alan Kulwicki (1954-93) in 1992 for his own AK Racing. He got the OK to remove “Th” from his Ford’s bumper lettering, to read “Underbird” as in the underdog.

He won the closest pre-Chase points race result ever, by 10 over Bill Elliott with Davey Allison in third. Allison blew the title by crashing out of the ’92 finale, the Hooters 500. That race transitioned the sport as it was Richard Petty’s last and Jeff Gordon’s first Cup race. Now Gordon is retired.

Kulwicki was NASCAR’s first champ with a college degree (mechanical engineering, which he applied to racing aerodynamics)

POINTS

WINS

433 1 a nd f rom a nor t her n state (Wisconsin.) Now goateed New Jersey native Truex hopes to make his mark as the underdog. He turns 36 on June 29.

O ne - ca r operat ion s have finished in the top 15 in points only three times in this millennium’s decade and a half. But now many smaller teams get bigger ones’ cars, to greatly improve prospects.

The 78 is a Toyota Camry provided

by Joe Gibbs Racing, and no longer a Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet. Also, Colorado-based FRR boosted its budget by hooking Bass Pro Shops to sponsor nine main races this season after mostly going it alone for years.

Truex drives the 78 car. That number sounds like fast rpms, both for an old-time music record and a race car.

Truex outdid the field in the 600 including Gibbs’ own Toyota drivers, as Denny Hamlin was fourth and Matt Kenseth seventh.

Truex outran runner-up Kevin Harvick by over 2.5 seconds.

Truex held off four-t ime 600 winner Jimmie Johnson on the few restarts.

“I kind of felt he was playing

TOP FIVES

2

TOP TENS

with us, he was so fast,” Johnson quipped. “I would ‘f lat foot ’ (accelerate in turns) one and two, and have a ‘nose on him.’ But he would drive right back by me, in turn three.” There were no wrecks in the end to disrupt the Truex dominance. Drivers averaged a record 160.655 mph in the briefest 600 race ever, lasting 3:44 and five seconds Truex was the feel-good story of last year, his breakout campaign.

He was the first driver since 1969 to notch top-tens in 14 of the first 15 Cup races. He ended with 22 toptens. But only eight of them were top fives, as he rarely cracked the upper echelon.

This year, only two of his six top-tens were top-fives — the 600 win, and runner-up in the season-opening Daytona 500. He had poles at Kansas and Charlotte.

The victory in the season’s longest-lasting race was his fourth of his Cup career, and first in 35 tries and nearly a full year. When he last won — at Pocono in June of 2015 — it was the first win in 70 Cup races. He led the 600 for a race-best 131 laps last year. But he finished fifth, conservatively

6

POLES

2

fueling late as others had enough gas to stay out.

The 13th race of this season offset further misfortune — in 2016. It started with his getting nosed out by Denny Hamlin, in the Daytona 500. A loose wheel KOed his chances in Kansas in May, after leading for 172 laps.

He finished 14th. He led 141 laps at Texas, but ended sixth due to more faulty pit strategy. He led 100 or more laps in in Cup races in his career, but the 600 was the first one he won.

But he was not deterred. “I had confidence. I had faith,” he said.

“So many fans have supported us for the past couple of years, with so many heartbreaks. I really appreciate that. I have a lot of great people behind me. Sherry (Pollex, his ovarian cancer-surviving girlfriend) gives me a lot of inspiration. We keep fighting. We never give up.

We keep digging.”

Pollex said, “He’s amazing.

This is huge for us. We’ve been through so much. This is just icing on the cake.” She then hugged her tearful beau. written by PETE ZAMPLAS

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SUNDAY, JUNE 12

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RACE RECAP

FIREKEEPERS CASINO 400

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY In the second race that featured NASCAR’s new lower-downforce package, JOEY LOGANO lowered the boom—again. It remained abundantly clear that Team Penske already has a handle on the aerodynamic configuration the sanctioning body is considering for 2017.

SUNDAY, MAY 29 COCA-COLA 600

• CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

MARTIN TRUEX JR. broke records in his victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a race in which the driver of the No. 78 Furniture Row Toyota set new standards for domination. Truex led 392 of 400 laps, most ever in NASCAR’s longest Sprint Cup Series race. He spent 588 of 600 miles at the front of the field, most ever in a single race in NASCAR history.

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AUSTIN DILLON EAGER TO NOTCH FIRST CUP VICTORY, MAKE CHASE Austin Dillon knows the clearest way to qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is to win a race — which also would distinguish him from newest Sprint Cup drivers.

I

want to be the first one of us to win a race,” he said in early June, on “Tradin’ Paint” on NASCAR Radio. This was days ahead of his 100th career Cup start, at Michigan. He drives R ic ha rd Ch i ld ress Rac i ng ’s famed no. 3 Chevrolet, sponsored

by Dow Salutes Veterans.

Dillon moved up a notch, to 12th place in points, by finishing eighth at MIS. NASCAR instilled much lower downforce as a test for next season, in that race. It made cars run looser, forcing

slow ent r ie s i nto turns. “You get way out here on these corners, you have no side bite,” Dillon said. “You get loose.

If someone comes on your door in the center of the corner, you’re really loose...The only time you could pass cars was on restarts” by getting the jump on them. Otherwise, for 400 miles “I made three quality passes under green flag.”

Dillon, 26, by mid-June has

POINTS

WINS

381 0 averaged a start of 13.4 and finish of 15.1 which puts him as a borderline Chase qualifier for the 16-driver postseason. But he averages six

TOP FIVES

3

TOP TENS

spots better in finishes than for last season. He is outdoing his 17.5 finish of his rookie year, and 17.9 for his first seven starts this year by stepping up in the next eight contests. A major factor is veteran Richard “Slugger” Labbe became his crew chief in mid-2015, and he’s improved since then.

Dillon’s career-best third place was on the fastest track of all, Talladega. Also this year he was fourth at Martinsville, fifth at Vegas, sixth at Kansas, eighth at MIS, and ninth each at Phoenix and in the prestigious Daytona 500. He has three top fives and seven top tens in the first 15 races, one pole (Fontana, Calif.), two starts in second, and one DNF — crashing at Pocono. He already has tripled his top-five output of 2015; he was fourth at MIS. Dillon’s younger brother Ty Dillon, 24, pilots the no. 3 for RCR in Xfinity and ranks third there.

Ty also races part-time (seven starts) in Cup, in the no. 95 Chevy for Circle Sport/Leavine Family Racing. He is near the bottom of standings. But he briefly outdid Austin at Pocono, by leading for three laps.

Chase Elliott is the new star, so far. He and fellow Cup rookie Ryan Blaney are in 6th & 16th in points.

7

POLES

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Dillon in the first half of this year has outdone his arch-rival, Kyle Larson of Target Chip Ganassi Racing. Larson is 19th in points.

Those two vied for top rookie honor in 2014. Larson prevailed.

He was 17th in final standings, then 19th in 2015. Dillon was 20th in 2014, then 21st last year as he also again missed the Chase.

The Welcome, N.C. native is a sturdy 5-foot-9 and 185 pounds, dwarfing Larson who is 5-6 and 135. And now, he is outracing him, too. Larson, who is two years younger, turns 24 on July 31.

While Elliott has pressure being Bill Elliott’s son and succeeding Jeff Gordon for Hendrick, Dillon has his own wall to climb. The only car rivaling the no. 3 Chevrolet that Dale Earnhardt Jr. made famous is Richard Petty’s 43. Further, Dillon races for his grandfather’s Richard Childress. The last RCR race win was by Kevin Harvick, three seasons ago.

But D i l lon i s bu i ld i ng on p r o g r e s s . “ We m a d e s o m e headway last year on our speed at RCR. When you can go out and lead laps and run up front, eventually that win is coming.” written by PETE ZAMPLAS

* Season to date stats as of 6/20/16

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