NASCAR Mid-Season Update by IWANNA USA

JIMMIE JOHNSON

LEADS CHASE GRID

MATT KENSETH

WINLESS FIRST HALF

BRAD KESELOWSKI

‘TRASHY’ POCONO BAD LUCK

2014 MID-SEASON UPDATE

FREE

POSTE R INSIDE

QUALIFYING 101 NASCAR FAST FACTS

Q+A WITH

CLINT BOWYER

DAYTONA 500 TRIUMPH + 1ST CUP VICTORY AT POCONO

JOEY LOGANO

ON THE FAST TRACK

SPRINT CUP RACE RECAPS INSIDE! RACE SCHEDULES + PREDICTIONS + DRIVER STANDINGS

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is second in chase Grid, wins 500 and at Pocono Dale jr. Geico 400 Practice (Thinkstock, Getty Images)

Dale earnharDt, Jr. hopes his Daytona 500 triumph and his first Cup victory ever at Pocono are omens he will break through and finally win his first Cup championship. he is already ascending past his recent success. the two wins this season match the two in Sprint Cup he has had since 2007, with both of those at Michigan. this is already his first Cup multiple-victory season in 10 years. his best Cup seasonal finish was third, in 2003. In the next season, he won six races while still with Dale earnhardt, Inc. this year, the Kannapolis native started out with a bang by winning the Daytona 500. he followed with two runners-up. he has seven top-five finishes, and three more top-tens. By mid-June, he was third in points and behind only hendrick Motorsports teammates Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson leads the circuit with three wins to top the Chase Grid. next is earnhardt. he has more points than the other tworace winners, Joey logano and Kevin harvick. Junior’s 40th birthday is Oct. 10, midway into t he 10-race Chase. he might not mind his age staying forever at 39, a la

comic Jack Benny. But he sure does not want his Cup title drought to continue. he and Jeff Gordon seem best able to snap their teammate’s title streak. Johnson (six) and Gordon (four) total 10 championships, towering over the competition career-wise. Yet Junior is the sport’s 11-time most popular driver. this could be his year. It’s his last with Steve letarte as crew chief, making for more urgency. letarte helped Gordon win his four Cup trophies. earnhardt reached a recent milestone, by winning in long Pond, Pa. for the first time. he took the checkered flag at the Pocono 400 June 8. Junior does well on all but road courses. he excels on flat tracks such as Pocono; last year he averaged a sixth-place finish on them, and earned more race points than all but Johnson. his victory was largely due to Brad Keselowski’s mishap, in slowing too much and long behind a befuddled Danica Patrick to try to draft airflow to blow a hot dog wrapper off his front grille. Junior succeeded with the same tactic, pulling behind tony Stewart. Swirling air blew the wrapper off his 88. this enabled its powerful hendrick engine to get more air and run faster.

“You gotta be there (in position to go for the lead), and we were,” earnhardt said. “We were both going to chug along there (slowed by debris), and see who made it. Somebody had an issue, and we capitalized. I’ve lost some in some strange ways. So it feels good to win one like that.” earnhardt led for merely 11 laps, the last five after he took the lead for good and held off a charging Keselowski in the 2 car. those two are friends. each has driven for a major domestic beermaker. the 2 car is still sponsored by Miller lite, from back in rusty Wallace’s days. Junior drove the red Budweiser 8 car for years for DeI, but could not get it to go with him to hMS. hMS instead bought rights of the 88 that Dale Jarrett made famous, doubling Junior’s former 8. his sponsors are national Guard/Diet Mountain Dew/time Warner Cable Chevrolet Camaro SS. the buddies hailed each other in post-race interviews. “Dale made a heck of a move, to take advantage,” the runner-up said. Junior defended his friend’s gamble, and said if it worked the 2 car with renewed speed “had me beat.” Such comments reflect both drivers’ growing public

maturity and modesty. the Daytona 500 victory was earnhardt’s second 500 triumph, but first in a decade. this was his first Cup win in 56 tries, over two years. the race was delayed by rain, early on, for six and a half hours. then Junior led for 54 laps. But there were 42 lead changes and four multi-car accidents toward the end, one ending rookie austin Dillon’s day. that set up a twolap shootout. earnhardt zoomed ahead of Keselowski, who finished third. then Gordon stayed behind Junior, to protect his bumper from would-be drafters and passers. earnhardt outraced the last contender, runner-up Denny hamlin, on the final lap before another crash and caution ended the race. “We could fight off battle after battle,” earnhardt said. “We got a little help at the end there from Jeff, to get away on the restart.” then the magnitude of the victory struck him. “this is amazing. I can’t believe this is happening. Winning this race is the greatest feeling that you could feel in this sport, besides accepting the trophy for the championship.” When radioing his crew during his victory lap, he yelled that “this is better than the first one!” Owner rick hendrick climbed

“trust me, man, we’re going to have a blast this year.” into the driver’s window after the victory lap, hitchhiking to Victory lane where the driver hugged his entire crew. Perhaps it eases a bit the association of Daytona with his father perishing there in a crash on the final lap, 13 years ago in 2001. the famed 3 car was in its first race in 13 years this time, starting on the pole with Dillon behind the wheel. “he’s been knocking on the door of the 500 for a lot of years. he got it done tonight — did an awesome job,” Johnson said. he edged earnhardt to win the 500 a year earlier. this time, Gordon and Johnson made the top five, signaling hendrick’s super season. “the world is right, right now — Dale Junior just won the Daytona 500,” Gordon proclaimed. “that’s a sign it’s going to be a great season.” With the win, earnhardt qualified for the Chase in the first race. he said from the 500’s Victory lane that, “trust me, man, we’re going to have a blast this year.” by PeTe ZaMPlaS

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2014 race recaps courtesy of NASCAR MEDIA via Getty Images

Runner-up Brad Keseloski’s car began to overheat due to a piece of trash on his front end. Earnhardt roared by, becoming the fourth consecutive Hendrick Motorsports driver to put a Chevrolet in Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway.

Johnson pitted on Lap 165 and took on four tires and enough fuel to finish the race, which was green the rest of the way. Anyone close to him pitted later and left Johnson comfortably ahead as Hendrick Motorsports captured its fifth straight Sprint Cup series race.

Edwards passed Marcos Ambrose for the lead moments after a restart on Lap 86 and subsequently held off a charging Jeff Gordon to win Sunday’s Toyota/ Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway. Gordon finished second, .591 seconds behind Edwards. The runner-up result was Gordon’s fifth at Sonoma, matching his number of victories at the 1.99-mile road course.

SONOMA RACEWAY

qUicKeN LOaNs 400

MICHIGAN INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, MAY 25

cOca-cOLa 600

SUNDAY, JUNE 08

pOcONO 400 POCONO RACEWAY

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

FeDeX 400

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

CHARLOTTE MOTOR SPEEDWAY

SUNDAY, JUNE 22

TOYOTa/ saVe MarT 350

Jimmie Johnson gets third win of the season at Michigan SUNDAY, JUNE 15

Johnson breaks winless streak at Charlotte

SUNDAY, JUNE 01

aLL-sTar race

edwards notches first road-course victory at sonoma

earnhardt lucky and good, in pocono victory

Johnson goes backto-back in dominant Dover win

McMurray snatches victory from Edwards, Harvick SATURDAY, MAY 17

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McMurray held off fast-closing Kevin Harvick, who crossed the finish line .696 seconds behind the race winner. Matt Kenseth ran third, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr., Edwards and four-time Sprint All-Star Race winner Jimmie Johnson.

Driving a No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet that led a race-high 164 laps, Johnson beat Kevin Harvick to the finish line at Charlotte Motor Speedway by 1.272 seconds to win the Coca-Cola 600 for the fourth time.

The race boiled down to a restart with four laps left. Johnson was able to pull away from Keselowski and Kenseth, who was so slow on the restart that Clint Bowyer attempted to push him from behind. Bowyer had taken two tires on a yellow flag pit stop with 40 laps remaining and gained the lead, only to see Johnson roar past him.

The victory was by .112 seconds and was the first of the year for the four-time champion and his third at Kansas Speedway. Harvick finished second after leading the most laps – 119 – in the race and making an impressive charge to Gordon’s rear bumper on the final lap.

Denny Hamlin overtook Kevin Harvick coming to the white flag to win. Behind Hamlin, Biffle and Bowyer was Vickers and A.J Allmendinger. Paul Menard was sixth, Harvick wound up seventh, Kasey Kahne was eighth, Larson ninth and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. comprised the top-10.

Denny Hamlin wins at Talladega SUNDAY, MAY 04

aarON’s 499

TALLADEGA SUPERSPEEDWAY

Gordon gets third Kansas win – and first win of 2014 season SATURDAY, MAY 10

5-HOUr eNerGY 400 KANSAS SPEEDWAY

Kevin Harvick wins at Darlington SATURDAY, APRIL 12

BOJaNGLes’ sOUTHerN 500 DARLINGTON RACEWAY

Joey Logano cements Chase spot SATURDAY, APRIL 26

TOYOTa OWNers 400

RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Logano’s victory was his first at Richmond and the fifth of his career. Jeff Gordon came home second and retained the series lead by five points over Matt Kenseth, who ran fifth after tangling with fourth-place finisher Brad Keselowski while battling for the win in the closing laps

Passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the next-to-last lap of the second attempt at a green-whitecheckered-flag finish, Harvick won. Kurt Busch’s wreck on the backstretch brought out the 11th caution on Lap 369 and snatched the victory from Earnhardt’s grasp. Restarting on the outside of the front row after powering past Jimmie Johnson on the first attempt at overtime, Harvick prevailed with a superior car on superior tires.

Joey Logano passes Gordon for Texas win MONDAY, APRIL 07

DUcK cOMMaNDer 500 TEXAS MOTOR

SPEEDWAY

Logano, driver of the No. 22 Shell Pennzoil / Hertz Ford Fusion, passed Gordon via a crossover move on the inside heading into Turn 1 on Lap 340 en route to margin of victory of 0.476 seconds. Kyle Busch finished third with Brian Vickers and Kyle Larson rounding out a top five that was shuffled by the day’s seventh and final caution on Lap 333.

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Edwards wins raindelayed, actionpacked Bristol race

SUNDAY, MARCH 23

AUTO CLUB 400

SUNDAY, MARCH 16

FOOD CITY 500

AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY

Bullying his way past six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson with 10 laps left in Sunday’s STP 500 at the .526-mile short track, Kurt Busch held on to edge Johnson by 0.263 seconds, denying Johnson a ninth Martinsville victory. Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished third in a race that produce a record 33 lead changes and a sixth consecutive different winner to open the 2014 season. Joey Logano ran fourth, followed by Marcos Ambrose and Matt Kenseth.

Kurt Busch strongarms Jimmie Johnson for Martinsville win SUNDAY, MARCH 30

STP 500

MARTINSVILLE SPEEDWAY

Brad Keselowski capitalizes on Jr.’s fuel shortage in Las Vegas SUNDAY, MARCH 09

KOBALT 400 LAS VEGAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY

BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY

Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Auto Club 400 at Auto Club Speedway on March 23, 2014 in Fontana, California.

Having shown his speed by pacing both Saturday practice sessions, before the rain came, Harvick led 224 of the 312 laps at the one-mile track, including the final 24, leaving Earnhardt to battle with front row starters Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano, who finished third and fourth, respectively, for Team Penske.

After pulling away slightly from race winner Brad Keselowski during a dramatic battle over the last 15 of 267 laps, Earnhardt ran out of fuel on the backstretch, a half-lap from the finish, and coasted home in second place, 1.531 seconds behind the driver of the No. 2 Team Penske Ford. Following a scrape with the outside wall and an off-sequence pit strategy, Keselowski took the checkered flag for the first time this season, the first time at LVMS and the 11th time in his Sprint Cup career.

iwanna.com Kevin Harvick, racing fourth with 50 laps remaining, left the track in flames. Matt Kenseth saw his fast car become even faster after his Toyota was rammed from behind and Kyle Busch seemed on his way to continuing his domination at Bristol until tire troubles led to his spin and eventual demise. Edwards and crew chief Jimmy Fennig made the winning decision on a late-race pit stop, electing to stay on the track and hold off the field for the final 71 laps without the benefit of fresh tires.

Kevin Harvick Holds Off Dale Earnhardt Jr. For Victory At Phoenix SUNDAY, MARCH 02

THE PROFIT ON CNBC 500

PHOENIX INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

Dale Earnhardt Jr. holds off Denny Hamlin for second Daytona 500 win SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 23

DAYTONA 500

DAYTONA INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY

Earnhardt was a car-length ahead of Denny Hamlin when NASCAR threw the seventh caution of the race a split second before Earnhardt crossed the finish line to win the Great American Race for the second time in his career. Hamlin came home second as the race ended under caution, with Brad Keselowski, Jeff Gordon and reigning series champion Jimmie Johnson running third through fifth, respectively.

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JIMMIE JOHNSON WINS THREE OF FOUR RECENT RACES, LEADS CHASE GRID IN SEEKING SEVENTH TITLE JIMMIE JOHNSON won three of four recent races to soar to the front of the Chase Grid in mid-June, and emerging as favorite to win the title under the new Chase format that rewards victories. Winners do best in the Chase Grid, which Johnson leads as the lone driver with three victories. Winning helps drivers advance in a series of elimination rounds, leading to a winner-take-all between the final four while racing amidst a full field at HomesteadMiami Speedway Nov. 16. Johnson has never won there. The six-time Cup champion is honing on a seventh NASCAR title. That would tie Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, Sr. Johnson already won a record five championships in a row, through 2010. He ended a twoseason drought last year, with his sixth crown. The El Cajon, Calif. native turns 39 on Sept. 17. He has won 69 Cup races in 450 starts, which is 15.3 percent of the time and averages over five per season. Only Gordon has won more (89), among active Cup drivers. Yet Johnson is the runaway leader with 27 race wins in the decade of the Chase format. He is eighth all-time in Cup wins. No one hits hotter. He triumphed in the arduous CocaCola 600 in Charlotte, and again the next Sunday on Dover’s high banks after leading on 272 of 400 laps. After a sixth at Pocono, he “out-quicked” everyone June 15 in the Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway (MIS). Seemingly the only time the 48 Lowe’s/Kobalt Tools Chevrolet Camaro SS isn’t going fastest is after when circling in victorious “doughnuts” that burn out tires. Making new tracks, Johnson won his first Cup race in 25th tries at Michigan. Owner Rick Hendrick noted the 48 car at MIS has “run out of gas (four times — twice while leading on the last lap), broke motors, blown tires, and lost it coming off of turn four” on the final lap. “But today, we were able to get it done,” Johnson said as the victor June 15. He has won on all cur-

rent Cup tracks but Homestead, Chicagoland, Kentucky, and Watkins Glen. Joining his three wins, Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) teammates Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. added one each and by mid-June HMS has won five in a row — for the third time ever. Its drivers are in the top three in Chase points, for the first time since 2009. Certainly, HMS dominance spews from its strong engines. Hendrick drivers have won six of the first 15 Cup races this year. “We’re getting stronger,” Johnson said after winning at MIS. “I think it is obvious that Hendrick Motorsports produces fast race cars. They build fast engines. We’re winning a lot of races, and running up front.” Hendrick engines in Chevy cars have won 60 percent of the time, with three of nine wins by Stewart-Haas Racing which uses them. That team includes Cup contender Kevin Harvick, and three-time champ Tony Stewart. Top points-earning rookie Kyle Larson of Chip Ganassi Racing has Hendrick engines and support. Fords have won four races and Toyota two. NASCAR may end up meaning Numbing Auto Speed of Chevy is Annihilating Rivals. For much of two decades, Fords were hailed as fastest on straightaways and intermediate tracks, with Chevys handling better on curves and banked superspeedways. Now, Chevy is excelling on various tracks. The fast, two-mile MIS is the Cup track nearest to Jack Roush’s home. It’s been his team’s best — but not now. Chevy drivers were six of the top eight MIS finishers, and led 163 of 200 laps. “It’s pretty obvious that the Hendrick engines are way ahead of everyone else,” though Fords may have better balance, said Ford driver Brad Keselowski, the last champ (in 2012) not named Jimmie. “They’re probably a full season ahead.” Toyota driver Clint Bowyer agreed. “It’s tough right now to compete with that horsepower they’ve got. That’s a pretty distinct advantage, when you look at the

- WINASTRACKER OF 06/22/14 JIMMIE

JOHNSON

-3-

MICHIGAN, DOVER, & CHARLOTTE

CARL

EDWARDS

-2-

BRISTOL, SONOMA

DALE

EARNHARDT JR

JIMMIE JOHNSON placing his 3rd winner decal (NASCAR via Getty Images)

results. Just incredible.” It may take kryptonite debris to slow Hendrick engines. Johnson outdoes other Hendrick engine pilots with driving skill and in-race analysis of car handling. He coordinates with NASCAR’s premier crew chief, Chad Knaus, for brilliant strategy. Knaus and lead engineer Dave Elenz scout rival teams’ tactics. They estimate during races how much fuel and tires both their car and rivals need to finish. At MIS, Johnson pitted on lap 125 of 200, later than others, and could get by with only one more. Knaus kept him on the track during the final caution of laps 149-152 to gain position, while several pitted since he correctly figured they needed an additional stop. Hard-luck Harvick pitted during green, yet a lap later the caution came out. The pole-sitter was leading. He finished second, a football field behind. Waiting to 36 laps to go, Johnson got four fresh tires during green, yielding the lead. But Knaus figured they’d regain it, as others pitted. It was daring as eight yellow cautions came before. Any more would enable pit stops without losing time. Keselowski radioed his crew chief that “if it stays green, they’ll (J.J. and Junior) have a huge advantage.” Indeed, no more cautions happened. Rivals had to pit, while Johnson raced ahead. He regained the lead for the final 10 laps as “the ‘fast car’

“I THINK IT IS OBVIOUS THAT HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS PRODUCES FAST RACE CARS. THEY BUILD FAST ENGINES. WE’RE WINNING A LOT OF RACES, AND RUNNING UP FRONT.” actually showed up,” to pass more than usual, Knaus said. “Those guys still had to come to pit road, to make it to the end,” Johnson said. “Once I got an idea of how the race was unfolding, I knew we were in the catbird seat. Chad nailed the strategy.” There was a precaution, Johnson said. Knaus “kept asking me to save the tires, in case there was a caution. Honestly, once we had our four tires on and fuel in the car, if the caution came out I still think we were golden. We had enough to go the distance, whereas everybody else was short. Chad saw an opportunity. I’m sure there was some risk at a small window in time. But it really was a win-win.” The best may be ahead for the 48. Knaus looks for more consistency with speed. Johnson said, “There are so many options with the rules package, that we haven’t explored everything yet. There is still a lot to learn about this car. I don’t think we’ve peaked too soon.” He vowed “We’re working our guts out to make our cars faster. Hopefully when the Chase comes around, we can put together the kind of stretch we just had” and win a seventh crown. by PETE ZAMPLAS

-2-

POCONO & DAYTONA

JOEY

LOGANO

-2-

RICHMOND & TEXAS

KEVIN

HARVICK

-2-

DARLINGTON & PHOENIX

JEFF

GORDON

-1-

KANSAS

BRAD

KESELOWSKI

-1-

LAS VEGAS

KYLE

BUSCH

-1-

FONTANA

DENNY

HAMLIN

-1-

TALLADEGA

KURT

BUSCH

-1-

MARTINSVILLE

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NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES STANDINGS

(As of 6/24/14)

+/-

DRIVER

PTS

BACK

STARTS

WINS

TOP 5

TOP 10

DNF

LAPS

LAPS LED

EARNINGS

580

Leader

4795

307

560

-20

4819

1008

555

-25

4493

202

515

-65

4774

323

Jeff Gordon Jimmie Johnson Dale Earnhardt Jr. Matt Kenseth Brad Keselowski

512

-68

4767

507

Carl Edwards

509

-71

4803

130

483

-97

4774

479

Joey Logano Ryan Newman

473

-107

4812

Kevin Harvick

472

-108

4429

882

-2

Kyle Larson

470

-110

4782

$3,535,545 $3,668,200 $3,741,054 $3,154,249 $3,722,662 $2,640,524 $3,191,780 $2,084,009 $3,270,362 $2,403,350

-1

465

-115

4514

264

Kyle Busch Paul Menard

459

-121

4702

$2,993,502 $2,616,729

Chase for the Championship 13

-1

Denny Hamlin Clint Bowyer Greg Biffle

453

-127

4616

452

-128

4508

444

-136

4703

$3,164,541 $2,553,482 $2,696,604

NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES STANDINGS RK

+/-

DRIVER

PTS

BACK

STARTS

WINS

TOP 5

TOP 10

DNF

LAPS

LAPS LED

EARNINGS

Regan Smith

516

Leader

2480

$482,673

Elliott Sadler

506

-10

2475

$445,399

Chase Elliott

505

-11

2455

119

$488,678

Ty Dillon

475

-41

2479

$379,153

458

-58

2424

$380,048

-1

Brian Scott Trevor Bayne

453

-63

2421

$416,668

Brendan Gaughan

410

-106

2417

$379,628

Chris Buescher

388

-128

2297

$323,048

James Buescher

388

-128

2440

$346,293

Landon Cassill

368

-148

2292

$340,576

-1

Ryan Reed

356

-160

2404

$340,293

+106 Mike Bliss

344

-172

2350

$20,975

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES STANDINGS RK

+/-

DRIVER

PTS

BACK

STARTS

WINS

TOP 5

TOP 10

DNF

LAPS

LAPS LED

EARNINGS

Johnny Sauter

261

Leader

1102

$129,253

-1

Matt Crafton

251

-10

1103

222

$ 181,963

Ron Hornaday Jr.

248

-13

1162

$ 100,001

Timothy Peters

246

-15

1057

$ 136,067

-1

Ryan Blaney

244

-17

1072

$ 121,431

German Quiroga

243

-18

1069

$ 100,826

John Wes Townley

234

-27

1181

$ 89,500

-1

Ben Kennedy

229

-32

1131

$ 101,227

Darrell Wallace Jr.

218

-43

1102

119

$ 126,041

-1

Jeb Burton

211

-50

1167

$ 89,731

-1

Joey Coulter

210

-51

1155

$ 87,291

Bryan Silas

177

-84

931

$ 78,416

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Tops in poinTs in FirsT HalF; Back pain is concern JEFF GORDON has led Sprint Cup drivers in points for most of the first half of 2014, shifting his remarkable career into overdrive as he looks to win his fifth title and first in 13 years. Gordon, who turns 43 Aug. 4, has driven for Hendrick Motorsports for most of his life — for 22 years, since age 22. This is his 22nd full-time Cup season. He won four championships from 1995 to 2001, dominating that half-decade and starring well

beyond. He leads all active drivers with 89 career wins, and is third all-time behind Richard Petty and David Pearson. Indiana native Gordon burst onto the racing scene at 16, as the United States Auto Club’s youngest licensed driver then. He won the USAC national midget title, then its Silver Crown title when he was 20. He has won five Nationwide titles. He joined NASCAR in 1991, when 19 and racing’s Boy Wonder.

Baby-faced Gordon has defied age in looks and performance, remaining a premier Cup contender. Rick Hendrick’s superstar triad of Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. clutch the top three spots of the Sprint Cup seasonal point standings, as of mid-June. Gordon remained on top after finishing sixth at Michigan on Father’s Day June 15. He led for 36 laps. After getting two new tires late while others kept racing, he zoomed up the leader board. “Boom, the (car) was gone, and flying again,” he told TNT after the race. “The car was still exceptional,” and “belonged in Victory Lane.” Johnson won. Gordon took back the points lead from Matt Kenseth after a one-week lapse, after finishing eighth at Pocono to Kenseth’s 25th. Then Kenseth fell to a mere point behind Junior, after MIS, and Hendrick had the top three. The forgotten “little brother” of Hendrick is Kasey Kahne, back in 19th place. Since drivers 13th to 23rd are clustered closely in points, positions can greatly vary in coming weeks. Gordon kept ahead of Matt Kens-

eth for seven weeks in a row, relinquished the points lead to him for a week, but by mid-June was back on top. Then he had 537 points — 15 more than Jimmie Johnson and eight more ahead of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. — as Hendrick Motorsports was one, two and three. They also dominate the new Chase Grid, which puts those winning the most races on top and winless drivers on the bubble. As of mid-June, after 15 races, ten drivers have won and automatically earned a Chase berth. Johnson has won a series-best three times, Junior and two others twice, while Gordon is among six who have triumphed one time. Gordon’s win at Kansas May 10 ignited a streak of five Hendrick wins in a row. Jimmie Johnson won three of the next four, sandwiching in Junior’s dramatic win at Pocono. Gordon co-owns Johnson’s car. Lately, the Sprint Cup series has evolved into the Hendrick Invitational. Gordon had top 10s in three of four after Kansas. Earlier, he was second both at Texas and in the Toyota Owners 400 — which he led for nearly half of the race (173 of 400 laps). He finished out of the top 15 only once in the first half, with 39th at Talladega in week 10. Consistency is one of his trademarks, and has landed him atop in points. While Johnson’s chronic winning is a pain in the rear of other drivers, Gordon’s main obstacle may be his chronic back pain. He has said he first felt substantial lower-back pain in 2008, six years ago, when arthritis was detected and later degenerative discs. He tried a “facet block injection,” easing joint inflammation and pain, as early as the Coca-Cola 600 in 2009. Some women get this for childbirth pain. Gordon said injections have had mixed effect, and he tries to balance in exercise and rest. He stated on his website in June his worst back pain ever was May 25 at Charlotte, for the lengthy 600. His

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back hurt so much, he got out of his car and sat out the final practice, and had a sub driver on standby in case he could not climb back into the 24 to race. “That’s the first time that something like that happened (to me) in the car, into a race weekend,” he told media. “I’ve rolled out of bed and felt tight, not having the muscles loose with blood flow. That’s part of just getting older.” A week later he withstood pounding of Dover’s concrete track. When asked if recurring pain might force retirement, he replied, “I can tell you if that happens many more times, I won’t have a choice.” Retiring soon enables Jeff to devote more time to wife Ingrid Vandebosch, and their children Ella Sofia and Leo, 3. Ella, 6, on April 20 practiced a quarter midget kart on New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Danica might have company in a dozen years. Jeff first raced at age 5. Watching his daughter “terrified me” to realize danger and “not have any control of what’s going on. It’s all on them now.” But he smiled at how “It’s amazing the focus they can have, at such a young age.” He said Ella so far equally enjoys horseback riding, gymnastics and soccer, but he welcomes her choice if she wants to race as a career. His main sponsors this year have been Drive to End Hunger, Axalta Coating Systems, and Pepsi. Hendrick-affiliated Panasonic is rumored as a new primary sponsor for Gordon in two races, with a blue-white paint and Toughbook mobile computers. For years with DuPont his prime sponsor, his 24 car was multi-colored and thus he was The Rainbow Warrior. His car may be less colorful, but the everyouthful warrior races on with a title in his grasp. by PETE ZAMPLAS

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NaSCar With dad It’s something special to say, “My dad and I are in the NASCAR Hall of Fame!” The familial connection to the sport is strong, with four fatherson pairs earning induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame: • •

•

Bill France Sr. [Class of 2010] and son Bill France Jr. [Class of 2010] Lee Petty [Class of 2011] and sons Richard Petty [Class of 2010] and Maurice Petty [Class of 2014] Ned Jarrett [Class of 2011] and son Dale Jarrett [Class of 2014]

These hall of famers are The faThers of former or currenT naTional series drivers:

•

• • • •

Dale Earnhardt [Class of 2010, father of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kerry Earnhardt Richard Petty [Class of 2010, father of Kyle Petty] Bobby Allison [Class of 2011, father of Davey Allison] Buck Baker [Class of 2013, father of Buddy Baker] Bill Elliot [To be included in the Class of 2015, father of Chase Elliott]

Notable Father-SoN PairS: CombiNed NatioNal SerieS WiNS Bobby + Davey Allison BoBBy: 84 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) wins, 2 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) wins davey: 19 NSCS wins comBined: 109 NASCAR national series wins

Bobby Allison won the 1983 NASCAR Spri nt Cup Series championship and ranks tied

dale earnhardT and dale earnhardT Jr. (Courtesy of Earnhardt family)

for fourth on the all time victory list – both of which landed him a deserved spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. And who knows, if not for a tragic –and fatal – helicopter crash in the summer of 1993 , Davey may have followed in his father’s footsteps. Davey won at least one race in six consecutive seasons, and finished third in series points in both 1991 and 1992.

Buck + Buddy Baker Buck: 46 NSCS wins Buddy: 19 NSCS wins comBined: 65 NASCAR national series wins

NASCAR Hall of Famer Elzie Wylie “Buck” Baker established himself as one of NASCAR’s early greats, becoming the first driver to win consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championships. That repeat performance in 1956 57 was the meat of an incredible four year span; in 1955 and ’58 Baker finished as the series championship runner up. The first series championship for Baker came while driving for owner Carl Kiekhafer, who had assembled the first multi car team in NASCAR while also blazing a trail in using his cars as promotional tools for his other business, powerboat motors. Baker’s second championship came in his own cars. Buck’s son Buddy also became a renowned NASCAR

driver who won the 1980 Daytona 500 in what is still the record speed for the 500 at 177.602 mph (285.809 km/h). Buddy was named a NASCAR Hall of Fame nominee in 2014.

Dave + Ryan Blaney dave: 1 NNS win ryan: 1 NNS win, 2 NASCAR

Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) wins comBined: 4 NASCAR national series wins Versed in many forms of racing, both father and son have taken quite different paths to level of NASCAR’s national series. Dave Blaney is a former (1995) World of Outlaws champion, Sprint Car Driver of the Year (1995) and USAC Silver Crown champion before making posting one win in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Blaney is a veteran who has competed in 594 NASCAR national series races (470 Sprint Cup, 121 Nationwide and three Camping World Truck races). Ryan Blaney hasn’t raced much open wheel cars but rather worked his way through the ranks of Bandoleros, Legends Cars and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series before mak ing his NASCAR national series debut in 2012. Ryan Blaney has matched his father’s win total in the NNS posting a win in 2013 at

cindy, chase and Bill ellioTT (NASCAR via Getty Images)

Kentucky. But Ryan has bettered his father in all time NASCAR national series wins with three compared to Dave’s one. Ryan banked two NCWTS wins at Iowa (2012) and Pocono (2013).

Ward + Jeb Burton Ward: 5 NSCS wins, 4 NNS wins JeB: 1 NCWTS win comBined: 10 NASCAR national

series wins

The Burtons are one of the most recent father and son tandems to join the NASCAR national level competition. While Ward has been longtime competitor and winner in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Jeb Burton is just getting started.

Wa rd h a s f ive w i n s i n t he NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, i nc lud i ng h i s st i r r i ng 20 02 Daytona 500 victory. He also has four NASCAR Nationwide Series wins all from the seasons of 1992 and 1993. Jeb Burton ran his rookie season in the NCWTS in 2013, posting one win at Texas.

Dale Earnhardt + Dale Earnhardt Jr. dale sr.: 76 NSCS wins, 21 NNS

wins

dale Jr.: 21 NSCS wins, 23 NNS

wins

comBined: 141 NASCAR

national series wins

One of the most famous names

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in the sport, four generations of Earnhardts have inked their names in NASCAR’s record books. The most successful combo, of course, is Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. The elder Earnhardt won a record tying seven NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships and 76 races, a combination that placed him in the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Dale Earnhardt Jr., an 11 time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Most Popular Driver, has won 21 Sprint Cup events – including two Daytona 500 victories – and back to back NASCAR Nat ionw ide S er ies championships in 1998-99.

Bill + Chase Elliott Bill: 44 NSCS wins, 1 NNS win Chase: 2 NNS wins, 1 NCWTS

win

ComBined: 48 NASCAR national

Series wins

The latest in a long line of father son excellence in NASCAR, the younger Elliott has displayed the poise and talent of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship win ning fat her. Chase’s first NASCAR national series win came in 2013 at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park road course. He fol lowe d up a NA SCA R Nationwide Series oval win at Texas Motor Speedway on April 4, and with it, became the youngest points leader in series history. A week later, at Darlington Raceway, he won again. Bill, a 16 time Most Popular Driver, won 44 Sprint Cup races races, one NASCAR Nationwide Series race, and the 1988 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship.

Bill Sr., Bill Jr. + Brian France

NASCAR wouldn’t be where it is today if not for the three generations of the France family. From the founding of what is now America’s largest motorsports body to usheri ng it i nto t he mainstream conscious to t he creation of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup; the France family has elevated NASCAR into one of the United States’ premier sporting organizations . Bill Sr. and Bill Jr. were inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees.

Ned + Dale Jarrett ned: 50 NSCS wins dale: 32 NSCS wins, 11 NNS wins ComBined: 93 NASCAR national

series wins

Ned and Dale Jarrett are the third father son combo to earn their way into the NASCAR Hall of Fame competing in the NASCAR Sprint

Cup Series. Ned Jarrett’s 50 career victories are tied for 10th all time with Junior Johnson. He also won a total of 28 races during the 1964 and ’65 seasons. Jarrett won his first series title in 1961 while driving a Chevrolet for W.G. Holloway Jr. He finished with only one victory, but posted an impressive 34 top 10s in 46 starts. In 1965, he won his second title while driving for DuPont heir Bondy Long, and despite a back injury sustained at Greenville, S.C., Jarrett finished with 13 wins and 42 top fives in 54 starts that season. Ned’s son Dale also displayed a big stage excellence; he is a three time Daytona 500 winner and twice won the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. His 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories – 21st all time –also include the CocaCola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jarrett won the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship with 29 top 10s, an astounding feat considering that year’s schedule consisted of 34 races.

David + Larry Pearson david: 105 NSCS wins, 1 NNS win larry: 15 NNS wins ComBined: 121 NASCAR national

series wins

The Pearson family combined to win a ton of races – and more than their fair share of championships. David, second on the all time NASCAR Sprint Cup victory list with 105, has three titles. His son, Larr y, won back to back championships in the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1986-87. David was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame class in 2011 after one of the most prolific careers in NASCAR’s history.

Lee, Richard + Kyle Petty lee: 54 NSCS wins riChard: 200 NSCS wins Kyle: 8 NSCS wins ComBined: 262 NASCAR national

series wins

The three generations of Petty’s are arguably the most famous i n NA S C A R – t h a n k s t o a combined win total padded by the ‘King’ Richard Petty’s seven championships and 200 NASCAR Sprint Cup wins. Lee and his son Richard were t he second father son combo to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Lee Petty made 427 NSCS starts posting 54 wins. Lee’s grandson and Richard’s son Kyle Petty in 829 starts posted eight NSCS wins. Not to be forgotten – Richard’s brother Maurice, whose engine building excellence earned him a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame. courtesy of nasCar media

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legendary engine builder ray fox NASCAR HAll of fAme NomiNee PASSeS AwAy At tHe Age of 98 orn May 28, 1916, Fox made his name in NASCAR as an engine builder, winning Mechanic of the Year in 1956

after the Chrysler 300 cars he built for Carl Kiekhaefer won 22 of the season’s first 26 races. Fox has been nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame each of the

past three years. In 1960, he built the Chevrolet in which NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior Johnson won the Daytona 500. NASCAR Hall of Famer David Pearson

won three times that year driving Fox-built Pontiacs. Fox, who served in the U.S. Army during World War II, transitioned to a car owner in 1962. He won 14 races in his NASCAR career, including nine with Johnson and two with NASCAR Hall of Famer Buck Baker.

(from left to right) 1961-62: Daytona car owner & builder Ray Fox (L) with his new driver David Pearson, who began driving for Fox in May ‘61 at Charlotte and gained his firstever Cup win feBrUArY 24: Driver Buddy Baker talks with owner Ray Fox while sitting in his 1967 Dodge at The Daytona 500 on February 24, 1967 at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Baker finishes 4th. 1968: NASCAR Cup car owner and master mechanic Ray Fox with his Dodge Charger outside his race shop. Buddy Baker drove for Fox during the Cup season, winning one race, the World 600 at the Charlotte (NC) Motor Speedway. (NASCAR via Getty Images)

Baker’s 1964 Southern 500 win came in a car owned by Fox. Others who competed in Fox’s cars include NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough, Fred Lorenzen, Buddy Baker and Charlie Glotzbach. Fox retired in the early 1970s but in 1990 accepted the role of NASCAR’s engine inspector, a position he held until his second retirement at the age of 80 in 1996. NASCAR issued the following statement, regarding Fox’s passing: “Ray Fox was one of the individuals who helped form the foundation of our sport, with a personality that was every bit as important as his on-track accomplishments. “His place in our record book is secure, but no one should ever view Ray Fox solely in terms of statistics. A resident of Daytona Beach, Florida, he was a hometown hero of sorts, serving as an ambassador for NASCAR in the community where the sport began. Most importantly, he was a friend to us all. “Several years ago, he said he could still build a competitive NASCAR Sprint Cup Series engine, if asked. If he had indeed been asked, in all likelihood, he would’ve delivered. “Of course, Ray Fox had already delivered, with accomplishments and memories that will forever serve NASCAR well.” courtesy of Nascar media

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EyEs Final Four ChasE FinalE, in ErratiC yEar For toyota Matt Kenseth was in the top two in sprint Cup series points for two solid months recently for Joe Gibbs Racing, but his title hopes are slipping in the hendrick hurricane amidst an up-and-down year for himself and toyota Racing. Kenseth, the 2003 champion, nearly won his first Cup title in 10 years last season. he ended 19 points behind champ Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth led standings with four Chase playoff races to go, but struggled in two and settled for second place. he was also runner-up in 2006. Best of all for Kenseth, he won a career-best seven races to lead Cup drivers and enter the Chase as top seed. though ’13 was fortunate for him overall, the Camry’s handling problems hurt him. he led the Chase standings after seven of the final races. But he faltered at talledga, and later in the second to last race at Phoenix which enabled Johnson to surpass him. that was Kenseth’s JGR debut, in a toyota Camry, after years (2000-2012) in a Ford as a Roush

star. Yet he was overshadowed by celebrity teammate Carl edwards, who is rumored to consider a move to JGR himself. Kenseth moved on, for ’13. he replaced Joey Logano in the 20 Dollar General car, who in turn had succeeded tony stewart. stewart drove the 20 car to Cup titles in 2002 as a Pontiac, then as a Chevrolet in 2005. after Gibbs switched to toyota, stewart bolted and won a third Cup title in 2011 with a Chevy. Kenseth, 42, last year won at Las Vegas on his 41st birthday, on March 10. he virtually was toyota Racing. he had half (seven of 14) of toyota wins. the 14 were merely two back of Chevrolet, and more than doubled Ford’s six victories. Kenseth is a strong Cup contender, but has been winless in the first half of this season. as of mid-June, he trailed the hendrick trio of Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Dale earnhard, Jr. in points and was fourth. Under the new format’s “grid” ranking, race winners trump others which puts Kenseth more toward the

middle of the 16-team postseason pack. But fourth is fine. the final four after a series of elimination rounds will race in the last week, and the winner is the champion. Kenseth topped everyone in points for a week in early June, before plaguing himself with a select few low finishes. he started the season sixth in the Daytona 500, but 10th or worse in the next three weeks. he climbed the rankings with a string of five top 10s. toyota scored two of the top five finishes in two of these contests. the first was at the Fontana, Calif. twomile superspeedway. Kenseth had the pole and led 19 laps, but Kyle Busch won it for the second year in a row in another Camry for toyota’s lone victory thus far. the finale of those five races was the toyota Owners 400 in Richmond. Kyle Busch was third and Kenseth fifth. Ironically, Kenseth’s JGR predecessor Logano won in a Penske Ford, for among a handful of Blue Oval victories. Moreso, Logano’s two victories doubles the one for all toyota pilot.

matt kenseth talladega Practice (NASCAR via Getty Images)

Kenseth promptly fell to 37th at talladega, May 4 in week 10. But he and crew chief Jason Ratcliff rebounded for a top-ten at Kansas. Kenseth was third both at the prestigious Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, leading for 33 laps, then again on Dover’s high banks on June 1. By then, Kenseth led all drivers in points by finally overtaking Jeff Gordon after seven weeks in second. his ten top-10 finishes (in 13 races) led the circuit, and half were top-fives. he was at his zenith. then his sprint Cup roller coaster plummeted downhill. the Wisconsin native faltered with a 25th at Pocono, then 14th at Michigan (MIs) June 15. Worse, MIs was his home track for years with Roush. he did move into the top five late in that race, running under the radar in “stealth” mode as Chevy and Ford stars battled for the lead. he said JGR is “continually trying to get the cars better,” and hasn’t panicked with tactics that can backfire. he said aerodynamic setup is a key. he reasons at times the 20 had “pretty good car balance, but you haven’t had the speed.” he said, “we’ve been in position to win a few races. We just haven’t quite had the speed yet. so, we’ll just keep working on it and hopefully keep (mostly) putting together mistake-free races and putting ourselves in position to win.” he stressed that “you can’t really force it. You can’t just

“you can’t really force it. you can’t just say ‘Hey man, we need a win’ — and just go and get one. if it were tHat easy, you’d win every week.” say ‘hey man, we need a win’ — and just go and get one. If it were that easy, you’d win every week.” Looking back, he said “if we could’ve won more (than twice) in the Chase last year, we probably would’ve won the championship.” this began as a very trying season for the Camry, with merely three top-fives in the first six races. Four veteran toyota drivers are in the Chase Grid 16-driver hunt, and a fifth close. Kenseth is fourth in points. Kyle Busch is 10th, but rates ahead of Kenseth and other winless drivers in Grid pecking order. By mid-June, Denny hamlin was 12th in points, after starting with a runner-up at Daytona. Clint Bower was 14th, and Brian Vickers 18th. toyota, in its eighth Cup season, misses tony stewart but pins much hope on Kenseth mounting a Chase fury. the Chase finale is at homestead, Fla., not one of his best tracks. Yet he was second there, to end 2013. Kenseth won four of his seven wins on such intermediate (1.5-mile) distances last year. this time, that last race is a winner-take-all between the four finalists. Kenseth is eager to be among them. by Pete ZamPLas

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MATT KENSETH with the unofficial trophy of NHMS

WINNING A ‘SNAP’ AT NEW HAMPSHIRE

(NASCAR via Getty Images)

New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Unofficial Trophy Boils Down to Big Fun

ven though winners at New Hampshire Motor Speedway are also presented with a more traditional trophy, the king-size lobster prize is the real star of the show. The tradition of earning a live rock lobster at the “Magic Mile” has become a fan and driver

favorite since Jimmie Johnson was t he first recipient after winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LENOX Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on June 27, 2010. Johnson was surprised, to say the least! Track president Jerry Gappens

does a great job finding the absolute largest lobster around, and the driver is presented with the live crustacean in Victory

Lane. After the race, the people at Makris Lobster and Steak House in nearby Concord, New Hampshire, pressure cook the

lobster, take out about six pounds of meat, flash freeze it, package it and send it off to the winning race team’s shop. Then a taxidermist reassembles the rock lobster’s shell, paints it to look like an uncooked lobster, and mounts it as a trophy, which is then shipped to the winning driver as a trophy. That’s one trophy that’s sure to be the talk of the next party at the driver’s house! The next Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the Camping World RV Sales 301 on July 13, 2014. Tune into TNT at 1pm to see who pinches the next tasty trophy!

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KEY MOMENTS IN NASCAR HISTORY One of the most popular sports in the United States, NASCAR has a rich history steeped in tradition. The following are some of the more important moments in the history of stock car racing’s governing body.

DECEMBER 1947: By late 1947, stock car racing was growing in popularity, and tracks were struggling to handle the crowds and cars. Recognizing this and other issues, including less than trustworthy promoters who would often leave events before paying drivers, facing his sport, Bill France, Sr. organized a meeting in Daytona Beach, Fla. France, Sr. gathered owners, drivers and even mechanics at the Streamline Hotel, setting the foundation for

NASCAR. Within months, the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing would form.

2 3

FEBRUARY 1948: Behind the wheel of his Ford Modified, Red Byron wins the first sanctioned NASCAR race on a beach course in Daytona.

SEPTEMBER 1950: Darlington International Raceway becomes the first asphalt super speedway to host a NASCAR event. Driving a 1950

Plymouth owned by France, Sr., Johnny Mantz won the 500-mile event.

ner’s purse had ballooned to more than $1.5 million.

DECEMBER 1963: Wendell Scott wins a NASCAR race at Jacksonville Speedway, becoming the first African-American in NASCAR history to win a premier division race.

JULY 1952: The first NASCAR competition to take place outside of the United States is held on a dirt track in Stamford Park, Ontario, Canada. The 200-mile event was won by Buddy Shuman and marked the only victory of Shuman’s career.

FEBRUARY 1959: The first Daytona 500 is held at what is now the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. The event, which remains the sport’s most prestigious race, coincided with the opening of the speedway. Lee Petty won the race, which featured a prize of just more than $19,000. By 2013, when Jimmie Johnson won his second Daytona 500, the win-

6 7

NOVEMBER 1979: Richard Petty, the son of inaugural Daytona 500 winner Lee Petty, wins his seventh series championship, a record at the time. Dale Earnhardt would later tie Petty, and both men still hold the record today.

FEBRUARY 1998: Racing in his twentieth Daytona 500, Dale Earnhardt wins his first one, snapping a 59-race winless streak in the process.

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(LEFT) 1957: BILL FRANCE SR & JR & contractor with Daytona plans (RacingOne Multimedia) (RIGHT) RED BYRON (NASCAR via Getty Images)

2003: Brian France, the grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr., takes over as American CEO and Chairman of NASCAR, taking over the position from his father.

20 0 4: The Chase for t he NASCAR NEXT EL Cup is announced. This announcement gave the sport a postseason similar to a playoff. Since 2008, this has been referred to as the “Chase for the Sprint Cup,” a name changed made necessary by the merger of NEXTEL and Sprint.

NOVEMBER 20 09: Jimmie Johnson becomes t he f i rst d r iver to w i n four consecutive championships. Johnson would add to his legend the following season by winning his fifth consecutive championship and then again in 2013 by winning his sixth overall championship, leaving him one shy of the all-time record of seven championships held by Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. courtesy of METRO CREATIVE CONNECTION

WENDELL SCOTT in car #34 (NASCAR via Getty Images)

1979: RICHARD PETTY sets record with 7 championship wins (NASCAR via Getty Images)

1998: DALE EARNHARDT wins at Daytona (NASCAR via Getty Images)

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joEy LogAno (NASCAR via Getty Images)

“There’s so much emoTion ouT There. i mean, people are mad a loT”

Joltin’ Joey logano goes ‘Mano a Mano’ with Contenders

0004296669

JOEY LOGANO at 24 is among NASCAR’s brightest stars, a young veteran whose encore to his breakout season of 2013 is helping vault Roger Penske atop Ford Cup Sprint racing teams. Team Penske Ford so far is surpassing Roush Fenway Racing for Ford supremacy in its second season with the Blue Ovals, with t wo of the top seven drivers in points. Brad Keselowski is fifth and Logano seventh, as of mid-June. Both are lanky with big smiles, and plenty about which to grin. Logano rated third in the Chase “grid,” after the first 15 races. He joins Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt and Kevin Harvick as drivers with at least two victories. As such, they rated ahead of single-race winners and then winless drivers. Keselowski, who has a win, rated sixth. He and Logano drivers exchange setups, for their identical cars. Penske seeks its first Cup title, and is on track for its 20th season in the top 10 in Cup owner points. Logano joined Penske last year at Keselowski’s urging, and outdid his elder (30) teammate by six spots in placing eighth in final standings. That was the best by any Ford Fusion driver last season, one in which Penske’s people adjusted to Logano and the Fusion. Their Ford reunification followed nine Dodge seasons. Logano entered the ’13 Chase in sixth. He won on the Michigan (MIS) super speedway, and two poles. Eleven of his 19 top-ten finishes were top-fives, many lateseason once revisiting tracks. “If you put a new quarterback (driver) in with a new coach (crew chief), then there’s going to be a learning curve,” he said of ‘13. “They have to figure

each other out, and learn that chemistry and what works. It took us a half-year.” He is “on the same page” with crew chief Todd Gordon, and in a “maturity process.” He felt more pressure and frustration in his first four Cups seasons, as Tony Stewart’s successor in Joe Gibbs Racing’s fabled 20 Chevy. He won merely twice, and after ‘12 lost his ride to Matt Kenseth. “When you’re doing that (starting) at 18 with guys who are old enough to be your dad, it’s kind of hard,” Logano said, especially when results disappoint. Logano has driven Penske’s no. 22 Shell/Pennzoil since age 22, in ‘13. His results are as hot as its flaming yellow-red sun colors. His personality matches. His fiery side lit up at Fontana, Calif. last year on the final lap as led but literally tried to “fend off” pole-sitter and former JGR teammate Denny Hamlin. They banged doors relentlessly then crashed, enabling Kyle Busch to win. Logano spun, but managed third. Hamlin ended 25th, after nosing into the wall. A week earlier at Bristol, Hamlin spun out Logano late. At Fontana, Logano became yet another voodoo doll candidate for testy Tony Stewart, after blocking “Smoke” on pit road on the final restart with 11 laps to go. After the race in the pits, husky Stewart came after rail-thin Logano with fists pumping. “There’s so much emotion out there. I mean, people are mad a lot,” Logano said. He sees feuds between generations of drivers drawing younger fans to his side, and to the sport. He does not regret his dare, his Keselowski-like aggressive tactics. “I get paid to win the race. You better make all the

time you can on re-starts, when everybody’s close. There might be a little smaller hole than you’d like it to be. But you have to stuff it in there. You have to go for it. That’s the only way you move up through the field, to be there at the end.” He did so this season, such as at MIS on June 15. The Connecticut native finished ninth, Keselowski third on his home track. Logano led much of the way. He zoomed into second place on lap 75, gaining two spots after a pit stop during a caution. Then he seized the lead from eventual winner Jimmie Johnson by lap 80. During a caution, Johnson chose the outside lane. On the restart, Logano beat him to the front before the first turn. He led for 12 straight laps twice, starting on laps 80 and 130 before slowed by debris on his grille and dirty air. Logano managed his usual grin, when telling TNT after the race that “every restart I had was really good, except that last one. I got stuck three-wide, underneath the two car (of teammate Keselowski), and got loose. We lost some spots there. Our car wasn’t good enough to pass. It was good enough to place it where it needed to be, and to run there.” Logano is often jovial. On radio with his crew at Michigan, midway in the race he poked fun at how rookie Kyle Larson ran well after his damaged rear bumper was removed. He quipped that “The 3 car (Austin Dillon, the other star rookie) wants to know if you’ll knock the bumper cover off, while you’re at it.” Logano has been on the fast track to success. At age seven, he won the first of three straight quarter-midget grand national titles. He was the youngest Pro Divisions Legends champ ever, at 12. At 14, he outdid Matt Martin and impressed his father Mark Martin. He said of Logano then, “I am absolutely, 100 percent positive that he can be one of the greatest that ever raced in NASCAR.” Logano made history in 2009. His first Cup victory, at New Hampshire, was a month after his 19th birthday (on May 24). That made him the series’ youngest race winner ever. He was Sunoco Rookie of the Year in ’09. He won nine Nationwide races in 2012 for JGR. Then last year, he helped Penske win the Nationwide owner title. by PETE ZAMPLAS

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an american salute Unites Industry to Honor Military

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ASCAR will continue its long-standing tradition of supporting the United States Ar med Forces with NASCAR: An American Salute, a platform that rallies teams, tracks, fans, and partners to collectively honor active and retired service members and military families. NASCAR: An American Salute kickedoff Memorial Day weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s Coca-Cola 600 and concludes Independence Day weekend at Day tona I nter nat iona l Sp e edway ’s Cok e Z ero 40 0 Powered by Coca-Cola. NASCAR has a long-standing tradition of supporting the brave men and women who devote their lives to protecting our country. During this special time period running from May 25-July 5, the industry will have the opportunity to collectively express our reverence, respect, and gratitude to the millions of members of the United States Armed Forces for the sacrifices they have made in defending our nation. “Honoring our nation’s military is a long standing tradition in our sport,” said NASCAR President

Mike Helton. “The NASCAR: An American Salute platform truly enables us to collectively express our gratitude to the millions of members of the U.S. armed forces and their families for the sacrifices they have made in defending our nation.” During the seven-week span between the two races, teams, tracks, partners and fans will show their thanks through various activities on and off the track. The wider NASCAR community can show gratitude by visiting NASCAR.com/Salute and using the hashtag #NASCARsalutes on Instagram and Twitter. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams will showcase their support by displaying patriotict hemed elements a nd pa i nt schemes on their race vehicles at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dover International Speedway, Po c o n o R a c e w a y, M i c h i g a n International Speedway, Sonoma Raceway, Kentucky Speedway, Daytona International Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Gateway Mo t or s p or t s Pa rk a n d Ro ad America. courtesy of naSCar Media

SFC Mari Koontz (1), 984th Military Police Company, 759th Military

Police Battalion, Fort Carson, Colorado sings “God Bless America” before qualifying for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 17, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Honor and reMeMber FlagS (2) flying in the garage area as part of NASCAR: An American Salute during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. riCHard CHildreSS (3), owner of Richard Childress Racing, poses with Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Cheerios Chevrolet, at a press conference for Goodyear during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kyle buSCH (4), driver of the #51 Hiring Our Heroes/Toyota Care Toyota, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series North Carolina Education Lottery 200 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 16, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (NASCAR via Getty Images)

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NASCAR 2014 Mid-SeASoN UpdAte

[left to right] carl edwards, driver of the #99 Fastenal Ford, qualifies for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 17, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina.(NASCAR via Getty Images) richard childress, (L), owner of Richard Childress Racing, poses with Austin Dillon, driver of the #3 Cheerios Chevrolet, at a press conference for Goodyear during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 22, 2014 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (NASCAR via Getty Images)

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21st Annual Jack In The Box Summer Shootout Series Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts the Summer Shootout Series Tuesday nights during the summer June through July. always features games for the kids and Lug Nut, the World’s Fastest Mascot. Racing action takes place under the lights on the quarterm i l e ova l l o c at e d o n t h e speedway’s front straightaway. Adult tickets are $7, while kids 13 and under get in free.

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he series features US Legends Cars a nd Ba ndoleros as wel l as special events including school bus races and a huge fireworks extravaganza night. Expect family f un at t he Summer Shootout Series, which

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brash brad for strong first half, more than mad at ‘trashy’ Pocono bad luck BRAD KESELOWSKI is a viable contender to win his second Cup title in three seasons, especially if he can avoid misfortune that “trashed” his chance at winning the Pocono 400. The aggressive, clever, slender, toothy native of metro Detroit suburb Rochester Hills, Mich. won the 2012 Sprint Cup crown along with five races. He took the Nationwide title in 2010. Only Bobby Labonte has won both titles. Keselowski’s career average finish of 16.18 entering ’14 is comparable to Greg Biffle and Kurt Busch Keselowski, 30, is red hot in the Roger Penske’s bright red no. 2 Ford Fusion Miller Lite. He started June with three topthree finishes in a row, to move into the top five in series points. He reeled off six straight top-five finishes in May to mid-June. His seven top-fives tie Dale Earnhardt, Jr. atop the series. Keselowski’s win at Las Vegas March 9 automatically qualifies him for The Chase’s expanded 16-car field for the final 10 races, under the new format. He nearly won again June 8, in Pocono at Long Pond, Pa. He

led 95 of the first 155 laps around the 2.5-mile Tricky Triangle. But merely seven of the first 15 Cup winners in ’14 led the most laps. Fate struck with five laps to go —10 laps into the no. 2’s all-out sprint to hold off Junior’s 88. A large plastic hot dog wrapper drifted down from grandstands, and hugged Keselowski’s front grille. This blocked air flow, slowing and overheating his engine so much it rattled. When crew chief Paul Wolfe kept asking over radio whether the engine was overheating, Keselowski said it was “really, really hot.” Not k now i ng t he eng i ne would hold up fine, he figured he needed to regain power to avoid getting passed. So, he let Junior by when trying to get rid of the debris in hopes of regaining speed and the lead. Both frontrunners did the same maneuver, of pulling behind another car so its turbulent air blew debris off their car fronts. Earnhardt got his smaller debris off, when behind Tony Stewart. Keselowski closed in on slowgoing Danica Patrick’s lapped no. 10. But she apparently pre-

sumed he wanted to pass her, veered out of his way and her car got loose. “I could tell she was trying to let me go on the inside, and I don’t think she knew the situation I was in,” Keselowski said. “I was trying to follow her towards the top side. She just kept going higher, higher and higher — until it sucked me in, higher and higher. I just couldn’t get out of the wake, and lost my momentum.” Junior zoomed by. Still “wrapped up,” Keselowski’s last hope was to somehow catch Junior in the final five laps and pass him — or first try the air-flow stunt on the 88. Amazingly, he closed to within a half-second of winner

“It’s lIke someone broke Into your house, and stole all your stuff. I’d lost a lIttle bIt of trust In the car.” Earnhardt at the finish. That Keselowski’s engine held up made one wonder if it still would, had he kept going all out rather than slow for the airflow maneuver. “I should have just passed her, ran it, and seen if it would have blown up,” he said. But he defended how it seemed “I was going to get passed, because I was really down on power down the straightaway. Dale was close enough to get by me, especially

with my engine starting to let go. It was (apparently) going to break. I thought I had a shot to clean it off, and not lose (much) time. It’s more frustration with not executing the move, rather than taking the risk to make it.” The Vegas winner said that, in effect, “I was sitting on (crummy) 15 and the dealer had a (strong) face card,” he said. “If you play it by the (odds), you should take a card — you should hit. I did, and we busted. That’s the cards we play.” He added, “Dale made a heck of a move, to take advantage.” Junior defended his friend’s gambit. “He’s the kind of guy that would have just put his foot in it, and tried to make the motor last. But apparently it was just more than he could ask the engine to do.” He said the no. 2 seemed fastest. “He had me beat; I couldn’t get to him. It’s real hard to pass here.” Days earlier, Keselowski stated in his Ford Racing column how car failure singes. “It’s like someone broke into your house, and stole all your stuff,” adding “I’d lost a little bit of trust in the car.” Yet Doug Yates engine’s holding up boosts hope. Keselowski followed Pocono with a third June 15 in the Quicken Loans 400, at Michigan International Speedway at Irish Hills in his native state. “At these high straightaway (track) places, we need a little more to keep up with these (Hendrick) guys,” he told TNT after the race. “We were way behind them. But everywhere else (other tracks) I think we’re right there, and maybe a little better. Roush Yates is working hard, on the engine front.” Ever maturing, he added “we’ll just keep digging. We got a lot of consistency” in elite finishes. Second place gained him three spots in standings. He was runner-up the week before, at Dover. Before that, he finished third at Daytona and Phoenix then fourth at Richmond. Last year, he ended 14th and out of the Chase in his first year in a Fusion. He is adapting better in this his fifth full Cup season, all with Penske.. The celebrity bartender who served Miller Lite in The Chase sports bar in Jackson, Mich. ahead of MIS races is thirsty for more Cup wins. But he is encouraged by his stretch of top-five finishes. “We’re hitting the summer stretch with a lot of momentum.” by PETE ZAMPLAS

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Q+A with clint bowyer

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clint bowyer (NASCAR via Getty Images)

(June 17, 2014) The driver of the No.15 5-Hour Energy Toyota answers questions at Indianapolis Motor Speedway How is it going out tHere? You know, testing sucks. I’m not going to beat around the bush about it. It’s so much more fun to come here and compete when there’s other people on the race track. It’s all about coming back here and competing. You go out there as a driver and make a few laps and come back in and complain about it wasn’t

very good, or it may have been good and they make some more changes and you go back out and try again. It’s preparation, in any kind of sport or any kind of venue you’re in, preparation is key and that’s why we’re here today. wHicH takes longer to prepare for, Daytona or inDianapolis? I would say Daytona, but it’s not

really comparing apples to apples because it’s a restrictor plate track and there are so many things that equate to speed at Daytona and cornering is not one of them. Here, yes, those straghtaways are long, but you gotta be able to get off of them corners. You gotta get off of (turns) two and four

and set yourself up for that long straightaway because that’s where all your momentum starts is right there through the center of those two very important corners of this track, whereas Daytona you go down there and you’re working on shaping that bullet as slick as possible and making it fast.

are tHere any aDvantages to being Here a montH aHeaD of tHe race anD Doing laps? Anytime you’re on a race track, I don’t care really what you’re in, it’s an advantage. You’re situational awareness and stuff like that as far as the driver inside the car, however, the advantage is the team through the simulations programs, through all the data acquisition that these cars have on them when you come and do these tests. Through the Goodyear tire test we’re ahead of the curve because we know the direction of the tire that we’re going to come back and run. Sometimes where that can really throw you off and it gets frustrating is I’ve been to Goodyear tire tests where you’ve left there really happy and high up on the speed charts with that particular tire and they say ‘Yeah, everything’s good,’ well they get back and look at their data and they’re like well it’s a little bit too iffy on the chances of it having trouble or not so they come back with a completely different tire and you’re like “What the hell did I do that test for, you know?’ It is what it is. Obviously, we’re here preparing for our race, but the real reason we’re here is to prepare for everyone’s race with Goodyear.

courtesy of nascar meDia

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NASCAR 2014 Mid-SeASoN UpdAte

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NASCAR 2014 MID-SEASON UPDATE

40 IWANNA® JULY 1, 2014

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1999 aMeriCaN oFFshore. 26’, 588 cubic-inch engine, 635HP, Pump gas, best parts. Tandem aluminum trailer. Runs small/large lakes. Consider partial trade. Must sell, $24,995 864-229-6591

1995 Fleetwood BouNder. Excellent condition, well cared for, 37k miles, 32’, 454 Chevrolet 4L80E transmission. New roof, new awning, many extras. Call for details. Call before 9pm, $14,500. 828-684-0796

1993 Chevrolet s-10. Extremely modified and customized. Front end from crafted molded fiberglass with 1930’s style front fenders (with Auburn style pipes) running boards, headlights, truck bed. Entire truck lowered 4”. New 18” tires and beautiful chrome wheels. 864-266-1818, 828-280-5252 1973 ChevroletNova. ss. New paint job, all new interior, zero rust. Restoration 100% complete. Original 4-speed car w/a lot of new parts. $13,500. 864-304-4825

2006 MitsuBishi eClipse. Gs. 85,000 miles, 4 cylinder engine, 5 speed manual transmission. $8,000. Call for more information 828-442-2663

2009 MiNi BMw MiNi Cooper, very clean, front wheel drive, 6 speed manual with additional sport mode, 34.5 mpg, rear cargo area, LOADED! Alloy rims with 4-season all-terrain tires with low mileage. Interior mood lights plus front fog lamps, under panel door lights, roof rack system (not mounted) only 100,500 Mostly highway miles. All the service is up to date! Clean title! $8,900. 828-537-0575 gretamariagm@gmail.com,

1968 Ford thuNderBird. White with black vinyl. 429 Thunderjet engine. needs very little to be fully restored. 2007 harley davidsoN street Was $9000 Complete car. $7,500 good Glide. Metallic charcoal gray, Chrome condition, all here needs very little front end, Spoke wheels, Removable 828-507-2259 backrest, One owner, 5480 miles. $16,000 828-778-4418

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1999 Chevrolet Corvette. C5 Convertible, wood grain dash, 29,650 miles, excellent condition, fully loaded $25,500.00 OBO setzerbj@gmail.com 828-572-1649

2005 suBaru outBaCK. XT 2.5. New motor and turbo, all leather interior. New tires. Runs great. Call or text. $12,900 828-736-0651

1999 Chevrolet Corvette. C5 Convertible, wood grain dash, 29,650 miles, excellent condition, fully loaded $25,500.00 OBO setzerbj@gmail.com 828-572-1649

2003 hoNda Cr-v. Pearl white, good condition. A good car. $6,200 828-273-0742

1995 Ford MustaNG Gt. 5.0,-5-speed manual shift. RUNS GREAT!! Needs TLC! Has minor damage front driver’s side. Daily driver. LOTS OF POWER! $2,500/ OBO. 864-245-2110 1969 ChevroletCorvette. 427. 435 hp, tri power. Frame off restoration just completed. $27,900. 864-304-4825

1970 poNtiaC Gto. 455 HO 4-Speed, 1 of 158 Built, Burgandy with Original Black Interior, Bucket Seats, Console, Wood Wheel, Hood Tack, P-Disc Brakes, PSteering, P-Top, Solid Original Floors and Trunk. Excellent Trunk. Original Documentation. Runs & Drives Like New, Call Charles. $79,000 828-381-7720

1950 Chevrolet FleetliNe. Deluxe. All original sheet metal. 216 CI Straight Line, 3 sp manual. Beautiful interior upholstery. Must see to appreciate. $16,900 OBO. 828-496-1069, 828-308-3691

1952 Chevrolet piCKup. Have all new chrome for the truck. Started to restore. $6,500. For more info call 864-592-3981

1962 Ford thuNderBird. 2 Door Hardtop, 28,000 Actual Miles, Original White Paint, White with Red Interior, 390 Cu. In., Automatic Transmission,P-Steering, P-Brakes, Exceptional Original Dash Pad and Cluster and Interior, Very Solid Undercarriage, riginal Spare Tire and Jack and Trunk Mat, Runs, Looks and Drives Like New, Excellent Chrome and Stainless, No Rust Ever. $21,500 828-381-7720

2007 lexus es 350. Factory chrome wheels +new Michelin tires. Loaded +extras. Too much to list. Garage kept w/only 25000 miles. Must see! $21,000 carolinaman64@frontier.com 828-691-6227

1968 Chevrolet iMpala. 396 Ci, Documented, Original transmission and rear-end, show quality, beautiful car. $23,900 OBO nanbarn8@aol.com 828-496-1069, 828-638-0927

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NASCAR 2014 MID-SEASON UPDATE

CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SEARCH Search horizontally, vertically, and diagonally for the 20 most popular drivers of the 2014 Camping World Truck Series, put your skills to the test and see how many you can find! Answer key on page 44.

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Todd Bodine / Matt Crafton / Darrell Wallace / Jennifer Jo Cobb Cobb Burton Elliott Wallace Blaney Dillon Crafton Larson Sauter Buescher Hornaday Armstrong Bodine Paludo Quiroga Peters Gaughan Busch Coulter Chastain

created by ADALEE ELKINS photos courtesy of NASCAR via Getty Images

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Will erratic year be the last With roush for its top star?

Carl Edwards is roush Fenway racing’s lone driver squarely in the Chase hunt, in the final season of his current contract amidst rumors of his going elsewhere for next season. rFr hopes to match Fenway’s baseball team, the reigning world champion Boston red sox. But as for the sox, 2014 is not starting well on the ovals. Edwards is sixth in points through mid-June. He was third merely two races earlier, before a 41st at Pocono then 23rd at Michigan. He rates seventh in the Chase Grid, which prioritizes race winners over non-winners. By triumphing on Bristol’s short track March 16, he qualified early for the Chase. Edwards is in his 10th roush season, and was runner-up in points in two seasons, 2008 and 2011. roush wants to retain Edwards more than ever, with its other two drivers struggling. Greg Biffle is 15th in points — on the bubble for the top 16 that will make the Chase’s expanded playoff field. Their rFr teammate ricky stenhouse is far back, in 27th. Hendrick Chevrolet stars Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and dale Earnhardt Jr. are the top three in points, boosted by the circuit’s strongest engines on the fastest tracks. Brad Keselowski

(fifth) and Joey logano (seventh) of Team Penske are overshadowing roush’s fellow Ford Fusioneers. Even rookies Kyle larson (eighth) and austin dillon (17th) are showing up stenhouse. last year went better overall for rFr. Entering the Chase playoffs, Edwards was fifth and Biffle seventh. Biffle ended up ninth, Edwards 13th and stenhouse 19th. rFr has won its most races at Michigan International speedway (MIs), nearest to founder and co-owner Jack roush’s livonia, Mich. headquarters. Fords had three times as many wins (18 to 6) as Chevy, before Johnson’s win there June 15. Biffle was 20th, Edwards 23rd and stenhouse 27th and two laps down. Edwards ran up front early. rumors swirl about roush veterans Edwards and Biffle, who is also in his current deal’s final year. Views vary on whether one or the other will bolt. Prospect Trevor Bayne is rFr’s choice for a return of the no. 6 car that Mark Martin made famous with roush, especially if a driver leaves or else as a fourth car. Biffle’s so-so year may seem to hurt his prospects to go elsewhere. Edwards, 34, has long been coveted. But there may be con-

carl edwards (NASCAR via Getty Images)

cerns on how the charismatic but at times volatile driver would mesh with teammates. His most talked about landing spot is Joe Gibbs racing, for a fourth team or to replace denny Hamlin. Yet trouble looms if Edwards reunites with longtime roush teammate yet rival Matt Kenseth. Tightly-wound and edgy Kenseth seemed overshadowed by outgoing Edwards. Edwards reportedly, in June, turned down an offer from rich-

ard Childress racing. Team Penske that month stated it was not interested in Edwards for ’15. If it were, he’d stay with Ford and join Keselowski and logano in a comical sideshow trio of lanky, big-toothed extroverts. Once Kenseth left roush before last season, it likely eased tensions for Edwards there. Edwards in June praised Ford racing, in what might help keep his rFr option open but what might have been wooing Penske before failing to agree on a contract. “I don’t think anybody makes better cars than Ford does,” he said. “I think they really care about their products, and they definitely care about racing. It is part of their dNa. Their contribution to NasCar is immense, and right now yielding great results from the Penske side.” He is eager for roush to catch up, to “implement the (technical) findings and be better. we have everything there. we just need this much more speed and we would be really good.” He added, “Now is the time when you have to think about if we are going in the right direction or wrong direction, performance-wise. How do you be the best you can, so that you peak at (the Chase finale at) Homestead?” By then,

Edwards hopes not to tire out from having to recite all of his sponsors to the media after each race. They are Fastenal, subway, aflac, Kellogg’s and UPs. Edwards hopes to stay among leaders deeper into races, and win more. He did extra-long celebratory backflips after winning the Food City 500 at Bristol, Tenn. His victory was his third there in his career, and 22nd overall in Cup racing. Crew chief Jimmy Fenning kept the colorful (blue, red and yellow) 99 Fusion on the track late, for position, while others pitted. Edwards might have run out of fuel, had the race extended into overtime and ended with a ferocious green-white-checkered finish on the high-banked half-mile oval known for collisions. He said, “I was fully prepared for smashing into each other, bouncing off the walls, wrecking each other for the win. That’s what I expected.” Instead, the race was called one lap early — after four laps under caution, with the final three in a sudden downpour. stenhouse was runner-up, for his best Cup finish yet. Edwards was relieved to win so early in the season, in the fourth race, since it automatically qualifies him for the Chase. He was eager to “go have some fun and focus on the final 10 races to get to this championship. I’ve been a little bit jealous of those guys who have wins this early. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be able to come to the racetrack, and have all that pressure off of you. Now we’ll get to go have some fun. That’ll be a blast.” looking ahead, confidant Edwards proclaimed, “we’re in the Chase, and we’re going to go out and win this championship.” by PeTe ZaMPlas

aNswer KeY Camping world Truck search (from page 42)

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danica racing to catch up

Where will #10 place in 2014?

by Carrie Harder

espite disappointing finishes in many of the latest races, Stewart-Haas Racing driver Danica Patrick manages to keep her cool and remains hopeful saying of her team, “We continue to do better.” The fan favorite has had a hard time staying in the top 20, much less the top 10, so far this season. At press time, Patrick stood at #28, just one place behind her beau Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. Life off the track seems to be going just fine for 32 year old Patrick. The Illinois native continues to share the racetrack and living space with her boyfriend

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#17, Roush Fenway Racing driver Stenhouse, Jr. The pair recently shared photos of their new puppy Dallas on Twitter and Patrick says that while they do sometimes go for a little bit of trash talking, they keep the work talk light. Patrick explained, “You don’t want to go home to the ‘Why’d you crash me’ thing, which we both have done, unfortunately. Not on purpose, but cutting it too close.” As for the future, Gene Haas himself seems to have started rumors about Danica joining the Haas Formula 1 team. Haas will launch a North Carolina based Formula 1 team in 2016 and he has acknowledged that Danica would be a great fit. “She surely fits the bill. She is a woman in a man’s sport - that would attract a lot of attention. She weighs about 50 kilos - which these days sounds fantastic - so indeed she’s got a lot of attributes that would be good to have.” I n r e s p o n s e, Pat r i c k s a i d anything is possible but also said no one has seriously approached her about the possibility so far. She added that it might have been the kind of opportunity that she would have jumped for 10 years ago, but she is happy with where she is currently and feels like she’s finally getting her footing in the Sprint Cup Series. “I agree that anything is possible, but nobody has said anything to me. I am happy where I am at right now as far as racing goes. I am just starting to get the hang of Sprint Cup racing. Out of respect for Gene, if he came to me I would certainly listen, but I am almost getting too old to start a third career.“ Time will tell what path Patrick will ultimately take as far as future racing plans, but for now she is definitely focused on improving her Sprint Cup standings and manuevering the twists and turns of the NASCAR speedways.

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Qualifying 101 nascar fast facts

How does tHis new qualifying impact tHe coors ligHt pole award or Keystone ligHt pole award? The fastest driver in the final round of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series qualifying will earn the Coors Light Pole Award. The fastest driver in the final round of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series qualifying will earn the Keystone Light Pole Award.

How will tHe cars/ trucKs be lined up for tHe first round of qualifying? Cars/trucks will be lined up on pit road based on a random draw.

wHere will tHe cars/trucKs tHat advance go between rounds? Cars/trucks that advance return to their respective pit stalls in preparation for the next round of qualifying.

How mucH fuel must a veHicle Have on board for qualifying? NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World

ties until the completion of the third championship event of the current season. wHat Happens if qualifying can’t be completed because of weatHer or otHer adverse conditions? If one or more qualifying sessions a re completed, t he sta r t i ng positions will be determined based on t he most-recent ly completed qualifying sessions.

Truck Series vehicles must begin qualifying with a fuel cell full of fuel in the first round. The addition of fuel will not be allowed between rounds. wHat Kind of adjustments can be made on pit road during qualifying? With the exception of Daytona and Talladega, teams in all three national series can make wedge, track bar, tire pressure and tape adjustments on pit road during rounds. Between rounds at all tracks, the same adjustments can be made and oil may be plugged i n. O n ly one hel meted crew member is allowed over the wall during each round. Up to three crew members can make t he adjustments between rounds. A team cannot jack up the vehicle or raise the hood. wHat Happens if a car/trucK is involved in an on tracK incident during one of tHe qualifying rounds? are tHey permitted to return to pit road and/ or tHe garage to maKe repairs? Repairs are not permissible on

will tHis format also be used for road courses? This format will be used at all NASCAR tracks across all three national series, with the exception of the Daytona 500 and non-points NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events a nd t he NASCAR Ca mpi ng World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway.

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jimmie joHnson (NASCAR via Getty Images)

does a car/trucK Have to compete for tHe entire duration of a session? No, but the vehicle must complete one lap in order to record a qualifying time.

pit road or in the garage during qua l i f y i ng. O nc e a ve h ic le returns to the garage, it will not be permitted to return or compete in that qualifying round or any future qualifying rounds for that event.

will veHicles’ top lap speeds carry over between rounds? No. Top lap speeds are reset after each round.

does tHe new qualifying format impact provisionals? No. NASCA R’s prov i sion a l system r ema i n s i nt ac t a nd provisionals will be assigned at the end of the first round of qualifying.

will nascar stop tHe clocK during a qualifying round because of an incident? The clock will stop if the red flag is displayed and it can also be stopped at the discretion of the managing director of the series.

wHat Happens wHen tHe clocK striKes zero at tHe end of a round? Vehicles are allowed to cross the start/finish line one time to complete a timed lap.

wHat if two or more veHicles finisH tied witH tHe same top lap speed? If multiple vehicles are tied with the same top lap speed, their starting position will be determined by the owner point standings. If owner points cannot break the tie, the driver setting the duplicate time first would start in front of the other. Note: Owner points from the previous season will be used to break

will pit stall selections be Handled as tHey Have been previously, witH tHe no. 1 qualifier getting first cHoice, no. 2 qualifier getting tHe second cHoice, etc.? The pit stall selection process post-qualifying will remain the same.

Ready, Set, Go, Reset!

Top laps speeds reset after each round. If you want to advance, you have to continue to go faster than your competition.

Pit Road Dos & Dont’s

Except at Daytona a nd Ta l ladega, tea m s ca n ma ke limited adjustments during each round with one helmeted crew member only. Up to three crew members can make adjustments during each break at all tracks. Adjustments include rear wedge, track bar, tire pressure and tape. Repairs ca n not be made on pit road. Vehicles must follow NASCAR’s pit entry, pit exit and pit road speed requirements.

Beat The Clock!

Once the clock strikes zero, the vehicle can pass the start/finish line one time.

Keep Out Of The Garage

Once a car re-enters the garage, it is removed from qualifying and positioned in the starting lineup by its top lap speed in its last round competed. courtesy of nascar media

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Larson is arsonist among rookies as his aLL-out racing is hot, hot, hot Bold-driving KYLE LARSON is having an outstanding top 10 Sprint Cup rookie season, with heralded AUSTIN DILLON also making a Chase and Sunoco Rookie of the Year-contending mark by midseason. Rookies shined at Michigan June 15 on Father’s Day, making their parents and growing number of fans proud. Larson often led and finished eighth, for owners Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates in the 42 Chevrolet Camaro SS that Juan Pablo Montoya had last year. Justin Allgaier of Phoenix Racing turned in a career-best 16th, after starting 17th, powering a strong Hendrick engine. Swan Racing’s Cole Whitt was 28th, Dillon 30th and Alex Bowman of BK Racing finished 40th. Dillon, 24, pilots his grandfather Richard Childress’s fabled black no. 3 Chevy, a car back on the track after a 13-year hiatus honoring its prior driver the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. who died in the 3 in 2001. Dillon looks more like The King, Richard Petty, than The Intimidator, by donning a cowboy hat, shades and boots. The boots are his lucky charm; he wore the same pair last year when winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS). A main Cup sponsor is Cheerios, appropriately, as Dillon is cheerful. He replaces Kevin Harvick on RCR, for added pressure. Dillon consistently finishes in the teens,

and his average result is only two worse than Harvick. Dillon has one pole, but as of mid-June merely one top-ten finish. His brother Ty, 22, also races for RCR and is in the Nationwide top five. They are from Welcome, N.C. Austin Dillon as 2013 Nationwide champ and 2012 truck champ seeks an eventual Cup title, to become the first to win NASCAR’s top three circuits. He wants also to win the top rookie award on each level. He and Larson were preseason top rookie co-favorites, on the biggest teams. Dillon said he also eyes “knocking down one (race) victory. Anything beyond that would be a stellar first year.” Larson welcomed the competition with Dillon from season’s start, when he was eager to “beat him in that battle. It’s going to be tough — he’s a great stock-car driver, a great competitor.” NASCAR diversity darling Larson, 21, who is half JapaneseAmerican, has clearly outperformed Dillon after the first 15 races. Larson already has three top-five finishes and three more in the top 10, and one pole. Larson is eighth in the Cup points standings, Dillon 17th, but in the hunt for the top 16 who’ll make the Chase? Back a ways are Allgaier in 29th, Michael Annett of Tommy Baldwin Racing in 30th, Whitt in 31st, Bowman in 35th, Martin’s brother Ryan Truex in

austin dillon + kyle larson Darlington (NASCAR via Getty Images)

37th for BK, and Swan’s Parker Kligerman in 40th. BK and Swan drive the Toyota Camry; the other rookie teams run the Chevy Camaro SS. The eight first-year Cup drivers are the most in years. The Michigan race epitomizes how Larson is a tenacious scrapper. Mr. Diversit y overcame adversity, repeatedly working

his way back up the leader pack. His no. 42 Target’s red bullseye seemed a magnet for trouble. He ran in the top 15, before a collision spun him out and damaged the rear bumper so much his crew removed it. He raced well, with an uncovered backside. Larson gained 17 positions, to 20th, by lap 53. He reached third place,

“I want to be able to call myself a champIon In thIs sport. that would defInItely complete my career.” just past midway (lap 113 of 200.) Once, he “smoked” Tony Stewart with a burst and outside pass. Overzealous, he was penalized for speeding on pit road and dropped back to 19th. Yet he again recovered. “We fought hard to get into the top five,” Larson told TNT after the race. “But then I spun on pit row, with less than 50 laps to go. Had to work hard from there, again. We got back to eighth. It was a good finish.” The top two rookies held the top two spots with 16 laps left. Larson led. Dillon was next, after passing a pitting Joey Logano. Two laps later Larson pitted in 4.7 seconds, for a splash of gas, and secured a top-ten finish. Dillon led for a lap with Larson in the pits, before refueling the Dow Chemical Chevy. Five laps later, Dillon had to pit again. This time it was to fix a tire after his car hit debris, got unaligned and quivered. That left Dillon still seeking his first top ten, and thus far Larson as top new dog. Both are enjoying their rookie Cup seasons. “It’s an amazing world out there,” Dillon said, “and I’m loving every bit of it.” Baby-faced California native Larson said, “I’m having a blast.” by Pete ZaMPlas

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NASCAR SUPERSTITIONS FROM PEANUTS TO SHAVING

hile baseball players are known for t heir superstitions, NASCAR drivers may have as many myths, quirks and just plain odd practices to ensure race day success.

PEANUTS

Perhaps the most well known superstition in the NASCAR world is the practically universal aversion to peanuts in the shell. For a racer, peanut hulls are the equivalent of the number 13 or a broken mirror. To some, it’s a silly game, but for others, it’s serious business, and the potential difference between winning and losing. But why?

Nobody is really sure when the peanut became the symbol of bad luck in the racing world, but there are many theories. Some say the supersition goes back to the 1930s when drivers and crew members would work on their vehicles under the grandstands. Fans above would be snacking on peanuts, and the shells were often dropped onto the cars and work area. And of course, when there was a wreck, there would be signs of lingering peanut shells in the carnage.

$50 BILLS

Most of us would gladly take a $50 bill, but many racers consider them taboo. According to NA SC A R lege nd, a f t e r

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Many racers do not allow PEANUTS anywhere near the garage or track.

JIMMIE JOHNSON

is famous for his scruffy beard... and record-setting wins.

If you owe a NASCAR driver money, you better not pay with a $50!

Joe Weatherly was killed at California’s Riverside Raceway in 1964, two $50 bills were found in the pocket of his shirt. Although the story is disputed and no one can say for sure if it’s true, this is a superstition that still lingers to this day.

THE COLOR GREEN

Racers have had a bias against the color green for almost a c e nt u r y n ow. Th e c ol o r ’s misfort unate association is said to have started after a 1920 accident in Beverly Hills that killed defending Indy 500 champion Gaston Chevrolet and racer Eddie O’Donnell as well as his mechanic, Lyall Jolls. It was the first known racing accident

in the United States to kill two drivers, and Chevrolet was reportedly driving a green car. There are still drivers today who refuse to drive a green car - for example, Tim Richmond once refused to drive a car sponsored by Folger’s decaffeinated coffee because the main color was green. He wound up in the red Folger’s regular coffee car. Today, many drivers have seen much success (not to mention piles of sponsor dollars) in green cars - however Junior couldn’t be stopped back when he drove the red Budweiser car.

SHAVING

Another widely held belief that dates back to the 1930s involves facial hair. Legend has it that George “Doc” Mackenzie decided to shave off his wellk nown goatee the morning of a 1936 Milwaukee race – he was killed in a racing accident that day. Now whether it’s superstition or laziness that keeps so many of today’s drivers scruffy is up for debate - but just look at Jimmie Johnson go! by CARRIE HARDER

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TRACK OWNER Tony Stewart watches over a recent Camping World event at Eldora Speedway. (NASCAR via Getty Images)

Format Enhancements Made To Camping World Truck Series Race At Eldora Speedway ASCAR has announced a series of format enhancements to the second annual NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway, scheduled for July 23. Among the enhancements,

aimed to bolster the emphasis on both driver skill and team strategy, are: - Pit stops during competition cautions are now optional, whereas they were mandatory in last year’s inaugural event. - Each qualifying race will

now be 10 laps each. Last year, each race was eight laps. - A random draw will determine qualifying order. Last year, practice speeds dictated the qualifying order. - Owner points will be awarded to the top five team owners whose trucks do not transfer to the main feature. Last season, teams that did not advance to the main feature

did not earn owner points. “Last year’s inaugural event at Eldora Speedway was an incredible success, and these enhancements will only increase the excitement for our fans,” said Chad Little, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series managing director. “NASCAR continually works with team owners and drivers to ensure that NASCAR fans get what they’ve come to expect out of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series – close, thrilling racing, every single lap.” The event continues to showcase a traditional twolap qualifying session, five qualifying races, one lastchance race and a champion’s provisional to determine the 30-truck starting field. The top 20 in owner points entering the event will have a guaranteed starting position. The overall race procedures for the Mudsummer Classic are as follows: QUALIFYING - Two-lap, single-truck qualifying determines starting position for the qualifying races with random draw determining the qualifying order. QUALIFYING RACES - Five qualifying races will be held at 10 laps each and only green flag laps are counted. - Lineup for the qualifying races will be based on qualifying speeds. - The top five trucks in qualifying will start on the pole for their respective qualifying races with four

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locked-in trucks (top 20 in driver points) starting in each qualifying race. - Five trucks from each qualifying race will transfer to the feature – four locked-in trucks and one non-locked-in truck. - Upon completion of the qualifying races, 25 trucks will earn spots in the feature race. LAST CHANCE RACE - The lineup will be based on finishing position from the qualifying races and the race will be 15 laps with only green flag laps counted. - Top-four finishers transfer to the feature and start in positions 26-29. - The 30th starting position goes to the most recent past series champion. If the position is not filled by an eligible champion, it will be assigned to the next highest finishing truck of the Last Chance Race. - Owner points will be awarded to the top five team owners whose trucks do not transfer into the feature. FEATURE - The race will be 150 laps divided into three segments of 60, 50 and 40 laps with competition cautions at the breaks on Lap 60 and Lap 110. - Caution laps will not count during the competition cautions and positions cannot be improved on pit road. - Teams are not required to pit during the competition cautions. Those teams that do not elect to pit, may remain on the track and start in front of the pitting teams. courtesy of NASCAR MEDIA

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