KENTUCKY PRIMED TO PRODUCE ANOTHER FIRST-TIME WINNER IN 2014

Trevor Bayne

September 19, 2014 – Kentucky Speedway is the last standalone event on the schedule and possibly the perfect stage for the series’ sixth first-time winner to pop up in the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 Victory Lane (Sept 20 at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN).

In a competitive season that has seen 15 different winners in 26 races it should be no surprise that of the 15, five were first time series winners. Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott, Brendan Gaughan, Ty Dillon and Chris Buescher all have captured the checkered flag this season. So who’s next?

Six of the top-eight drivers in the series standings have a win this season; the two odd men out are Brian Scott and Trevor Bayne.

Richard Childress Racing’s Brian Scott sits fifth in the driver standings having posted three Coors Light poles, five top fives, 16 top 10s and a career-best average finish of 9.9. Scott is on the cusp of breaking through and getting his first win. His season-to-date Driver Rating is 100.2, also a career-best through 26 races. Scott has made seven starts at Kentucky with a best finish of eighth earlier this season.

Roush Fenway Racing’s Trevor Bayne might be going full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series next season but by no means does he want to close this season out winless. Bayne is sixth in the standings after posting one Coors Light pole, five top fives, 17 top 10s and an average finish of 10.7. His season-to-date Driver Rating of 92.1 is the second-best in his career through 26 races. Bayne has made six starts at Kentucky posting a best finish of 11th in 2011.

Of Kentucky Speedway’s 16 previous NASCAR Nationwide Series races, five were won by first-time winners, David Gilliland (2006), Stephen Leicht (2007), Joey Logano (2008), Austin Dillon (2012) and last year’s event winner Ryan Blaney (2013).

 

HOMETOWN HERO WALTRIP HOPES FOR KENTUCKY BREAKTHROUGH

Michael Waltrip

June 27, 2014 – Thought omnipresent at a race track – in either a television studio or walking pit road – Owensboro, Kentucky native Michael Waltrip doesn’t get behind the wheel of a race car all that often anymore.

He has people to do that for him, these days.

And they’ll represent him at his home track of Kentucky Speedway. So, yes, in a way, this is a home race for Kansas native Clint Bowyer and North Carolina native Brian Vickers – the two cornerstones of Michael Waltrip Racing.

This is a big one for more than local pride, of course. Both drivers are winless, and especially in the case of Vickers, in danger of missing the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Bowyer, coming off two consecutive top-10 finishes, has climbed to 14th in points – good enough to be one of the Chase Grid drivers were NASCAR’s playoffs beginning today. They’re not. So a win at Kentucky would go a long way. It’s more than possible; Bowyer finished third last year.

Vickers has yet to crack the top 25 at Kentucky, finishing 31st (DNF) last season and 27th in 2011. He’s hit a rough patch of late, a stretch defined by bad luck. His engine gave out at Dover, leading to a 43rd-place finish, and at Michigan, an early accident caused him to limp home in 42nd.

 

 

RICHARD CHILDRESS RACING IS BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

They’re back. Back to their old ways, back in the championship discussion, back in Victory Lane

Brendan Gaughan

June 26, 2014 – Richard Childress Racing’s mid-season push has them staring at a possible three-race win streak following Paul Menard’s victory at Michigan and Brendan Gaughan’s triumph last weekend at Road America.

“When I came to RCR, I told Richard (Childress) that all I wanted to do was prove I could still win races, and ever since then it has been the best racing of my life,” said Gaughan.

A three-peat win streak, while tough to pull off, is a real possibility considering RCR’s success at Kentucky.  The No. 3 team swept the 2012 Kentucky season at the 1.5-mile track, and finished runner-up last fall with driver Austin Dillon. This season Ty Dillon, who won at Kentucky in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last season, commands the famed No. 3 Chevrolet and leads the RCR contingent to the blue-grass state.

All three of RCR’s drivers are in the top 10 in the series points standings; including two in the top five – Dillon (fourth) and Brian Scott (fifth). Gaughan (seventh) is five points back from Trevor Bayne in sixth.

Gaughan’s good luck could linger this weekend; he has the eighth best pre-race Driver Rating (105.9) in the NNS at Kentucky in part by finishing third there in 2012.

NASCAR

 

ELEVENTH HEAVEN: WHO’S NEXT?

Kahne is strong at Kentucky, finishing second there in 2012

June 26, 2014 – Ten is a ubiquitous number this week. There are 10 races left, and 10 different tracks. Up to this point, there have been 10 different winners – and 10 drivers who are thus virtually locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

But there are way more than 10 drivers who want to make ‘11’ the number on everyone’s mind – as in ‘11th different driver to win in 2014.’

There are plenty of candidates. Last year during this upcoming 10-race stretch, there were five winners who have so far gone winless in 2014 – Matt Kenseth (twice, at Kentucky and Bristol), Brian Vickers (New Hampshire), Ryan Newman (Indianapolis) and Kasey Kahne (Pocono).

Any one of those talents could conceivable grab the win this Saturday night at Kentucky. We’ve already touched on Kenseth and Newman (page 1) and Vickers (about four inches above this sentence). Now, Kahne…

Though overshadowed thus far by fellow Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (all of whom have combined to win six races), Kahne’s season hasn’t really been all that bad – especially lately.

Kahne finished fifth at Michigan and sixth at Sonoma to move up to 16th in points – and a spot out of the Chase bubble (Kurt Busch, currently 26th in points, would bump Kahne out thanks to his win at Martinsville).

Kahne is strong at Kentucky, finishing second there in 2012.

 

HSCOTT MOTORSPORTS NSCS PREVIEW / KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY / No. 51 JUSTIN ALLGAIER

June 25, 2014 – Bluegrass State…Justin Allgaier will be making his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) start at Kentucky Speedway this weekend. Saturday night’s race will be the fifth of 10 night races for the NSCS this season. Allgaier and the No. 51 BRANDT Professional Agriculture team tested at Kentucky for two days earlier this month, but only received limited track time due to weather. He has two top fives, four top 10s and has led 29 laps in seven NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) starts at the 1.5-mile track. Allgaier also has experience in the ARCA Racing Series at Kentucky, with three top fives and four top 10s in seven starts, and has two starts in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kentucky.

Sonoma Recap…Allgaier completed his first NSCS race at Sonoma Raceway He had never raced on the 1.99-mile road course until last Saturday when he participated in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race to gain experience for the NSCS race. Allgaier finished that race in the 14th position after late-race contact. Allgaier qualified the No. 51 BRANDT Chevy 35th for the race. The Riverton, Ill. native finished 33rd in his inaugural NSCS race at Sonoma for HScott Motorsports.

Sunoco Rookie of the Year…After graduating to the NSCS this season, Allgaier is competing for Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the No. 51 BRANDT Chevy. In 2009, Allgaier took home the Rookie of the Year title in the NNS. After Sonoma, Allgaier is currently third in the standings, behind Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon.

Justin Allgaier on Kentucky Speedway:

“I’m ready to get back to oval racing at Kentucky [Speedway]. I tested there earlier this month with my team. Unfortunately, we didn’t actually get a lot of track time because of rain. They redid the start/finish line and I found out during the test that it’s pretty rough compared to how it used to be. That’ll be another factor affecting the car this weekend. We’ve been working on our mile-and-a-half program all season and we’ve been seeing improvements, so I hope we continue that trend this weekend.”

Crew Chief Steve Addington on Kentucky Speedway:

“We tested at Kentucky [Speedway] earlier this month. We weren’t able to get our two full days of testing in because of the rain, but we did get a little bit of track time. We’ve had time to go through those notes and apply them to this weekend. We need to keep qualifying well and have a mistake-free weekend. We’re making gains each week on the oval tracks and I think we will see a continuation of that this weekend.”

 

 

AJ ALLMENDINGER, NO. 47 SCOTT® PRODUCTS CHEVROLET SS / JTG DAUGHERTY RACING / KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY PREVIEW

Track: Kentucky Speedway

Event: Quaker State 400 Presented by Advance Auto Parts

Race Date / Time:  Saturday, June 28th, 7:30 PM ET

TV / Radio:  TNT / PRN Radio / SiriusXM

TEAM QUOTES:

Kentucky at night: “Kentucky Speedway is one of my favorite places and I’ve ran decent there before,” Allmendinger said. “It’s definitely got a lot of bumps in it. It is not like it is rough, but it is wavy and tough to get around. It will be warm this weekend, so the track will be slick. That makes it tough for the guys to set up the SCOTT® Products Chevrolet SS and on top of that you practice during the day and race at night.”

Get into the groove:  “Kentucky Speedway is one of those places where you have to get into a rhythm,” Allmendinger said. “The track is not really wide, but you have lines you can choose. If you can get your car working over the bumps, then you have an advantage. You have to have finesse for this track and you cannot be aggressive. You have got to be patient because the track changes a lot and it gets slick.”

A lot of positives last weekend: “I think everything was a positive except the end result at Sonoma Raceway,” Allmendinger said. “We had a car capable of winning and the way things were playing out, we would have had a shot at it. It hurts because we know we had a chance to win the thing. We’re a small team and any time you can say you had a race winning car and led the most laps, it feels good to be able to say that. We didn’t do anything wrong. Everyone did an outstanding job from the road crew, the pit crew to the guys back at the JTG Daugherty Racing shop. Our pit crew has really come together these past few weeks. Basically, everything was good this past weekend – especially the announcement of our multi-year Clorox sponsorship extension – except the race result and that hurt us points wise.”

Full steam ahead:  “We have a newer car for Kentucky Speedway,” crew chief Brian Burns said. “It’s the one we raced at Michigan International Speedway. We’re going to take another big stab this weekend to try to improve our mile-and-a-half program. We are going to be aggressive to try to make some big gains. ECR Engines has made improvements and they are giving us even more steam for this weekend and that’s exciting. I think Kentucky is one of the more bumpy tracks and we seem to have a better handle on those type of tracks as opposed to the smoother ones. I believe AJ likes this track. We will have a better handling package for the night race and being a night race makes it seem more action-packed.”

Coming together: “Like AJ said, the road crew and the pit crew (and the guys back at the shop) just really did a great job at Sonoma Raceway,” Burns said. “Although, we didn’t get the finishing position we were there for, everybody knows we were definitely a strong contender. We are going to try to carry that momentum into the next few races.”

Focus on the future: “I think it took us a day to digest the disappointment of Sonoma,” JTG Daugherty Racing co-owner Tad Geschickter said. “The positive side is that we know we can run up there to compete for a win. We have to focus on the future and not dwell on the past. We have continued to work hard on our mile-and-a-half program and are looking ahead to Kentucky Speedway this weekend. The team took the Michigan (International Speedway) car that was new and turned it around so we can race that car Saturday night. I know our partners Richard Childress Racing, ECR Engines and everyone here at JTG Daugherty Racing are really working hard on the program and as we continue to learn what formula AJ likes at the mile-and-a-halfs.”

Another significant race for the team:  “This is a big race for us because we will have a lot of partners coming out to watch us race at Kentucky Speedway,” Geschickter continued. “45 minutes up the road in Cincinnati is our Daytona 500 sponsor Kroger. They will bring their executives out to the race and as a result of that, a lot of our sponsors are coming. We will be putting our best foot forward like we always do.”

Big news for fans:  “We’ve got some big news coming up around the corner,” Geschickter said. “NASCAR fans are what make our sport thrive and we wanted to give them some insider access. We will be announcing a new platform to do just that and we are thrilled about it. We will have more details in the coming weeks. We’re planning to launch early July. Stay tuned.”

AJ Allmendinger has three starts at Kentucky Speedway and one top-10 finish. Allmendinger’s best finish is ninth-place (6/30/12). His average start is 18.667 and his average finish is 19.667.

 

 

BRIAN VICKERS No. 55 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE / KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY PREVIEW

CORNELIUS, N.C. – June 25, 2014 – Kentucky Speedway’s advertising bills itself as the roughest track on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit. No. 55 Aaron’s Dream Machine driver Brian Vickers can attest to that claim. A broken wheel during a May 20-21 Goodyear tire test at the 1.5-mile track led to a hard wreck in turn three for Vickers. The Michael Waltrip Racing driver wasn’t seriously hurt in the accident, but he said Saturday night’s race is going to be all about negotiating the rough surface and surviving 400 miles of close, high-speed racing.

Vickers crew chief Billy Scott said the time his team spent at Kentucky Speedway should pay dividends in Saturday night’s race although he expects the hot setup in May will be different than what works Saturday night.

BRIAN VICKERS ON KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY: “It’s an extremely rough race track. I broke a wheel last time I was there so that tells you it’s pretty rough. I like tracks with some bumps and character, but Kentucky is really rough. I think it is time for a repave. On the straightaways your head is moving back and forth so much it gives you a headache. We did the Goodyear tire test there in May and we certainly learned a few things. But, this weekend it’s going to be a tough track for everyone.”

Billy Scott

CREW CHIEF BILLY SCOTT ON AT-TRACK TESTING: “Nothing replaces going to the track and testing. All these NASCAR teams use tools like computer simulations that do a good job of helping us get an idea of what to expect once you arrive at the track. But, you don’t have real drivers or real tires. Nothing beats getting out there and running laps, getting data and hearing the feedback from the drivers.”

WOULD YOU TEST MORE? “In a perfect world—from just the setup standpoint—we would test every track we race. But considering time and money involved in doing that I’d prefer if none of us tested. That keeps it fair for the whole field and saves time and money.”

IS THERE A DOWNSIDE TO TESTING? “Not really other than time and cost. You have that chance to wreck a car and often times the tracks change by the time you go back. That even happens on the same weekend let alone when there are several weeks between testing and racing. You aren’t going to race what you thought was best at the test, but you will be somewhere closer than if you hadn’t gone there at all.”

 

 

CLINT BOWYER No. 15 5-HOUR ENERGY TOYOTA / KENTUCKY PREVIEW

ON THE HUNT FOR VICTORY LANE

CORNELIUS, N.C. – June 24, 2014 – The state of Kentucky (technically termed the Commonwealth of Kentucky) is probably most recognized as the home of horse racing in the United States. More appealing to Clint Bowyer, an avid hunter and outdoorsman, the Blue Grass state also claims to have the highest per capita population of deer and turkey.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series visits the 1.5-mile track situated in Sparta, Ky., this weekend. And while Bowyer won’t have time to hunt deer or turkey, he and the No. 15 5-hour ENERGY Toyota crew will be hunting something else- victory lane.

With the Michael Waltrip Racing team currently occupying 15th place in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, the team would like nothing more than to lock in to the Chase field. A win would certainly help the team reach that goal.

And if last year is any indication, Bowyer has a shot. He finished third in the event. And with just 10 races remaining before the Chase field is decided, the hunt is on for Bowyer and crew.

What does this team need to do in the weeks before the Chase?

“First things first you need to find that consistency back and I think we’ve done that over this last month here. I’m telling you, some of these guys, maybe us included are going to race in. Somebody is going to race in. I think two maybe three cars are going to race in before the cutoff.  However, it’s time for us to win. We need a win desperately and everybody knows that. Obviously, nobody knows that better than us.”

How do you setup for a bumpy track like Kentucky?

“The first thing you do as a driver to go around Kentucky is put a mouth piece in because you don’t want to chip a tooth while you’re going around there. It’s kind of neat because it’s an obstacle and it’s something you have to overcome and get your car to ride those bumps good and keep those tires on the ground. So much of what we do anymore is focused on aero and a lot of that means you really have to have a pretty stiff setup underneath of it and those tires don’t like that. They bounce up and down on that rough stuff so you have to go back to some mechanical grip and get some suspension back underneath of it and get you some grip.”

CHASSIS

Chassis No. 800 serves as the primary chassis for Bowyer at Kentucky Speedway. He raced it to a fourth-place finish at Dover earlier this month. Chassis No. 804 serves as the back-up chassis and finished 12th at Darlington and 15th at Bristol.

KENTUCKY STATS

• One top-five and one top-10 finishes in 3 starts
• Completed 793 of 801 laps (99%)
• Average start 13.7 and average finish 18.0

TURNER MOTORSPORTS NCWTS NEWS & NOTES / KENTUCKY SPEEDWAY / RON HORNADAY

At Kentucky, Hornaday will once again pilot the No. 30 Rheem Comfort Products Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM)

June 24, 2014 – Bluegrass State…The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) heads to Sparta, Ky. this week for the UNOH 225 at Kentucky Speedway. Four-time NCWTS champion Ron Hornaday is set to make his 12th-career start at the 1.5-mile oval and is looking to bring home his fourth-career win at Kentucky. Hornaday has compiled three wins, three top fives, six top 10s, and led 141 laps in his previous 11 starts at Kentucky Speedway.

Gotta Have a Rheem…At Kentucky, Hornaday will once again pilot the No. 30 Rheem Comfort Products Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports (TSM). Rheem Manufacturing Company (www.rheem.com) is privately held with headquarters in Atlanta. In its 88th year of operation, the company manufactures a full line of high-quality residential and commercial heating and cooling systems; tank, tankless, solar, and heat pump water heaters; swimming pool heaters and commercial boilers throughout North America and world markets. The company’s premium brands, including Raypak, Ruud and Rheem, have been recognized with countless industry and consumer awards for reliability, innovative design and high quality. Rheem is now in its eighth consecutive year as a NASCAR sponsor.

This Week’s Silverado…The No. 30 Rheem team will unload chassis TSM-220 this week at Kentucky. This is the same truck that Hornaday most recently drove to a sixth-place finish at Texas.

Watch and Listen…The UNOH 225 can be seen live on Thursday June 26 on FOX Sports 1. Race Coverage begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT, and the event can also be heard live on PRN Radio as well as SiriusXM Radio, Channel 90. Catch all the action from the No. 30 truck as Hornaday runs an on-board camera in Thursday’s event.

Previous Race Recap…Hornaday began the Drivin’ for Lineman 200 in the 16th position but by the first pit stop, the NCWTS veteran had worked his way to the 10th position. Hornaday returned to the track one lap down to the leaders due to pit stops not fully cycling through. A caution flag on lap 66 allowed Hornaday to regain his lap while running in the 10th position. During a caution on lap 124, Hornaday ran over an obscured brake rotor, which forced the four-time champion to come to the pits for four tires. When the race resumed on Lap 133, Hornaday was scored in the 12th position. Hornaday was able to work his way past competitors in the race’s closing laps, crossing the finish line in fifth.

Ron Hornaday on Racing at Kentucky Speedway:

“We’ve put together some good runs the past few races with this Turner Scott Motorsports team. I’m really proud of the way everyone on this Rheem Chevrolet has been working and hopefully we can continue to build upon our success even more this week at Kentucky.”

NCWTS Results at Kentucky Speedway:

Starts: 11

Wins: 3

Poles: 1

Top 5: 3

Top 10: 6

Laps Led: 141

Average Start: 11.3

Average Finish: 12.1