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 McMurray Completes Ganassi’s Trifecta at Brickyard

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
 
(July 25, 2010)
 
INDIANAPOLIS — Car owner Chip Ganassi got the expected result from an unexpected source in Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, as race winner Jamie McMurray joined one of NASCAR Sprint Cup racing’s most exclusive clubs.
 
Restarting second thanks to a two-tire call on a Lap 140 pit stop, McMurray powered his No. 1 Earnhardt Ganassi Racing Chevrolet past Kevin Harvick’s No. 29 Chevy on a restart with 11 laps left and pulled away to beat Harvick to the finish line by 1.391 seconds.
 
“I get to kiss the bricks,” McMurray said after he crossed the stripe, adding another milestone to his career and Ganassi’s unbelievable year.
 
McMurray gave Ganassi his first Daytona 500 win in February. In May, Dario Franchitti won the Indianapolis 500 in one of Ganassi’s cars. On Sunday, Ganassi hit the unprecedented trifecta. No other car owner has won all three major races, much less in the same year.
 
At the same time, McMurray joined Dale Jarrett (1996) and Jimmie Johnson (2006) as the only drivers to win the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same year.
 
“I’m the luckiest guy on the planet,” Ganassi said. “You wouldn’t dare to dream this. You wouldn’t dare to dream this kind of year.”
 
The Brickyard victory, however, had a bittersweet edge to it. McMurray’s teammate, Juan Pablo Montoya, tabbed as the driver more likely to finish the triple for his owner, did nothing to dispel that notion early on. Montoya led a race-high 86 laps but lost the lead when six teams—including those of McMurray and Harvick—opted for two tires on the Lap 140 pit stop under caution for debris. Montoya took four tires.
 
Montoya foundered in dirty air, dropped four positions and ultimately lost control of his car and crashed on Lap 145. For the second straight year, the Brickyard 400 ended in heartbreak for Montoya, who led 116 of 160 laps last year only to be thwarted by a pit road speeding penalty.
 
Greg Biffle finished third in his No. 16 Ford, the only non-Chevrolet to qualify in the top 10. Clint Bowyer was fourth and Tony Stewart fifth. Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Kurt Busch completed the top 10.
 
McMurray was concerned when Harvick passed him two laps after a restart on Lap 143.
 
“When Kevin got by me a few laps from the end, I thought it was over,” McMurray said. “It’s unreal right now. How about Chip winning the (Indianapolis) 500 and both of these big races? We’re just a great team right now.
 
“Honestly, when Juan was leading and I was in second (before the debris caution on Lap 137)—I’m a big believer in fate—I thought this was how it was meant to be. I won the Daytona 500, Dario won the 500, and I thought Juan was going to win this one. I’m just shocked I won the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in the same year.”
 
Harvick was philosophical. He could afford to be, having increased his Cup series lead to 184 points over second-place Jeff Gordon, who finished 23rd.
 
“We took a gamble there at the end to take two tires,” Harvick said. “On the first restart (Lap 143), it took off great. We were able to run Jamie down and pass him. Second restart (Lap 150), it didn’t take off so great. Just got tight. He drove around the outside of me.
 
“I guess just the first cycle on those new right-side tires carried us through. We were just tight the whole second restart. But still — a great day. Took a chance to try to win the race. All but capitalized on it and came up one short.”
 

 

QUALIFICATIONS

Time Trial Results

Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Sat, July 24, 2010 @ 12:03 PM Eastern

Track Qualifying Record: Casey Mears 08/08/04

Driver Date Time Speed

Brickyard 400 (17th Running)

48.311 186.293

1 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 49.375 182.278 0.000 0.000

2 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 49.412 182.142 0.037 0.037

3 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 49.504 181.803 0.129 0.092

4 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet 49.519 181.748 0.144 0.015

5 39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation Chevrolet 49.521 181.741 0.146 0.002

6 33 Clint Bowyer Wheaties Fuel Chevrolet 49.582 181.517 0.207 0.061

7 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 49.627 181.353 0.252 0.045

8 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet 49.655 181.251 0.280 0.028

9 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet 49.666 181.210 0.291 0.011

10 31 Jeff Burton Prilosec OTC Chevrolet 49.681 181.156 0.306 0.015

11 12 Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge 49.756 180.883 0.381 0.075

12 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 49.798 180.730 0.423 0.042

13 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford 49.842 180.571 0.467 0.044

14 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite / Vortex Dodge 49.882 180.426 0.507 0.040

15 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet 49.894 180.382 0.519 0.012

16 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford 49.901 180.357 0.526 0.007

17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet 49.928 180.260 0.553 0.027

18 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 49.931 180.249 0.556 0.003

19 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford 49.939 180.220 0.564 0.008

20 71 Landon Cassill TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet 49.941 180.213 0.566 0.002

21 7 Robby Gordon SpeedFactory.TV Toyota 49.957 180.155 0.582 0.016

22 78 Regan Smith FarmAmerican.com Chevrolet 49.987 180.047 0.612 0.030

23 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota 50.043 179.845 0.668 0.056

24 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford 50.058 179.791 0.683 0.015

25 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge 50.114 179.591 0.739 0.056

26 98 Paul Menard Mastercraft / Menards Ford 50.140 179.497 0.765 0.026

27 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford 50.290 178.962 0.915 0.150

28 6 David Ragan UPS Ford 50.303 178.916 0.928 0.013

29 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 50.310 178.891 0.935 0.007

30 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota 50.312 178.884 0.937 0.002

31 * 21 Bill Elliott Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 50.323 178.845 0.948 0.011

32 83 Reed Sorenson Red Bull Toyota 50.325 178.838 0.950 0.002

33 * 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 50.326 178.834 0.951 0.001

34 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota 50.341 178.781 0.966 0.015

35 * 13 Max Papis GEICO Toyota 50.386 178.621 1.011 0.045

36 * 09 Bobby Labonte Phoenix Construction Chevrolet 50.455 178.377 1.080 0.069

37 * 55 Michael McDowell PRISM Motorsports Toyota 50.465 178.341 1.090 0.010

38 37 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford 50.558 178.013 1.183 0.093

39 * 64 Todd Bodine Fred's Hometown Discout Store Toyota 50.593 177.890 1.218 0.035

40 * 66 Dave Blaney PRISM Motorsports Toyota 50.682 177.578 1.307 0.089

41 * 32 Jacques Villeneuve Dollar General Toyota 50.714 177.466 1.339 0.032

42 * 38 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford 50.910 176.783 1.535 0.196

43 * 36 Casey Mears Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet 50.955 176.626 1.580 0.045

44 * 26 David Stremme Air Guard Ford 51.068 176.236 1.693 0.113

45 47 Marcos Ambrose Kroger / Clorox Toyota 51.264 175.562 1.889 0.196 OP

46 34 Kevin Conway # Extenze Ford 51.376 175.179 2.001 0.112 OP

47 * 46 J J Yeley Cash America Dodge -49.375 -51.376

Pos Car Driver Team Time Speed -Fastest -Next

*Required to qualify on time, OP - Top 35 in Owner Points, PC - Past Champion

 

RACING REPORTS
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race Number 20

Unofficial Race Results for the Brickyard 400 (17Th Running) - Sunday, July 25, 2010

Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Speedway, IN - 2.5 Mile Paved

Total Race Length - 160 Laps - 400 Miles - Purse: $9,165,503

Leader

1 4 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet 160 190 5 127.6 $438,877 Running 2 16

2 9 29 Kevin Harvick Shell / Pennzoil Chevrolet 160 175 5 110.8 $352,424 Running 1 5

3 7 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 160 170 5 132.5 $300,000 Running 2 38

4 6 33 Clint Bowyer Wheaties Fuel Chevrolet 160 160 114.5 $255,975 Running

5 15 14 Tony Stewart Old Spice / Office Depot Chevrolet 160 155 96.7 $259,821 Running

6 10 31 Jeff Burton Prilosec OTC Chevrolet 160 150 104.2 $228,463 Running

7 19 99 Carl Edwards Aflac Ford 160 151 5 89.6 $230,596 Running 1 1

8 23 18 Kyle Busch M&M's Toyota 160 142 99.9 $227,054 Running

9 34 20 Joey Logano Home Depot Toyota 160 138 80.2 $219,438 Running

10 14 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite / Vortex Dodge 160 134 94.2 $215,121 Running

11 3 5 Mark Martin GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 160 135 5 107.9 $187,000 Running 1 10

12 13 17 Matt Kenseth Crown Royal Ford 160 127 88.0 $207,424 Running

13 24 9 Kasey Kahne Budweiser Ford 160 124 88.1 $197,163 Running

14 26 98 Paul Menard Mastercraft / Menards Ford 160 121 78.2 $164,275 Running

15 18 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 160 118 71.2 $172,225 Running

16 16 43 A J Allmendinger Valvoline Ford 160 115 68.5 $192,074 Running

17 5 39 Ryan Newman Haas Automation Chevrolet 160 112 62.2 $188,477 Running

18 31 21 Bill Elliott Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford 160 109 66.5 $148,225 Running

19 11 12 Brad Keselowski Penske Dodge 160 106 64.0 $178,608 Running

20 28 6 David Ragan UPS Ford 160 103 74.3 $159,600 Running

21 41 47 Marcos Ambrose Kroger / Clorox Toyota 160 100 64.5 $176,008 Running

22 2 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe's Chevrolet 160 102 5 75.9 $202,743 Running 1 1

23 8 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevrolet 160 94 79.0 $191,899 Running

24 38 37 Travis Kvapil Long John Silver's Ford 160 91 50.1 $164,396 Running

25 30 82 Scott Speed Red Bull Toyota 160 88 63.7 $161,296 Running

26 12 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 159 85 82.1 $143,025 Running

27 17 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. AMP Energy / National Guard Chevrolet 158 82 67.3 $150,200 Running

28 29 00 David Reutimann Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota 157 79 41.1 $173,054 Running

29 43 32 Jacques Villeneuve Dollar General Toyota 157 76 44.9 $137,725 Running

30 25 77 Sam Hornish Jr. Mobil 1 Dodge 157 73 36.7 $148,975 Running

31 36 09 Bobby Labonte Phoenix Construction Chevrolet 150 70 35.4 $139,650 Running

32 1 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 145 77 10 119.5 $186,179 Accident 4 86

33 22 78 Regan Smith FarmAmerican.com Chevrolet 135 64 59.5 $143,675 Running

34 42 34 Kevin Conway # Extenze Ford 124 66 5 39.5 $138,050 Engine 1 1

35 32 83 Reed Sorenson Red Bull Toyota 89 58 33.5 $177,121 Accident

36 21 7 Robby Gordon SpeedFactory.TV Toyota 68 55 38.6 $149,871 Vibration

37 39 64 Todd Bodine Fred's Hometown Discout Store Toyota 59 52 44.0 $134,675 Rear Gear

38 27 19 Elliott Sadler Stanley Ford 55 49 28.4 $142,825 Running

39 20 71 Landon Cassill TaxSlayer.com Chevrolet 52 51 5 46.6 $134,450 Overheating 1 1

40 33 87 Joe Nemechek NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 33 48 5 36.3 $134,375 Vibration 1 1

41 40 66 Dave Blaney PRISM Motorsports Toyota 20 40 33.5 $134,225 Electrical

42 37 55 Michael McDowell Curb Records Toyota 19 37 31.8 $134,125 Overheating

43 35 13 Max Papis GEICO Toyota 15 34 34.4 $134,513 Engine

Before an estimated crowd of 140,000, Jamie McMurray won the Brickyard 400, his fifth NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victory. To start the race, the following

cars dropped to the rear of the field: Nos. 20 and 64 (engine change).

Race Comments:

Failed to Qualify: (4) 38 David Gilliland, 36 Casey Mears, 26 David Stremme, 46 J J Yeley.

Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 56 Mins, 24 Secs. Average Speed: Margin of Victory:

6 for 25 laps: Laps: 2-7 (#00, 09, 18, 19, 64, 77, 83 Accident Turn 2 [None]); 16-20 (Debris [12]); 67-69 (Debris [37]); 118-121 (Debris [37]); 139-142 (Debris

[6]); 147-149 (#42, 88 Accident Turn 4 [39]).

Caution Flags:

14 among 10 drivers: J. Montoya 1-16; L. Cassill 17; K. Conway # 18; J. Nemechek 19; J. Johnson 20; J. Montoya 21-37; M. Martin 38-47; G. Biffle 48-49;

J. Montoya 50-62; G. Biffle 63-98; C. Edwards 99; J. Montoya 100-139; J. McMurray 140-144; K. Harvick 145-149; J. McMurray 150-160.

Lead Changes:

(1) K. Harvick 2,920;(2) J. Gordon 2,736;(3) D. Hamlin 2,660;(4) J. Johnson 2,659;(5) Kurt Busch 2,658;(6) Kyle Busch 2,630;(7) J. Burton 2,615;(8) M.

Kenseth 2,573;(9) T. Stewart 2,544;(10) C. Edwards 2,496;(11) G. Biffle 2,462;(12) C. Bowyer 2,446.

Top 12 Driver Points:

136.054 MPH 1.391 Seconds

NASCAR Public Relations @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

Next Race: Aug. 1, 2010 - Pocono Raceway

Coors Light Pole Award: Juan Pablo Montoya, #42 182.278 mph DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race: Jamie McMurray, #1 crew chief Kevin Manion

Goodyear Gatorback Fastest Lap: Greg Biffle, #16 176.225 mph, Lap 71 Mahle Clevite Engine Builder of the Race: Jamie McMurray, #1

Mobil 1 Command Performance Driver of the Race: Jamie McMurray, #1 Moog Chassis Parts Problem Solver of the Race: Carl Edwards, #99 Bob Osborne, 0.187 sec

O'Reilly Auto Parts Position Improvement Award: Joey Logano, #20 25 places Raybestos Rookie of the Race: Kevin Conway, #34

Sunoco Diamond Performance: Jamie McMurray, #1 Tissot Pit Road Precision: Jamie McMurray, #1 264.706 seconds

WIX Filters Lap Leader: Juan Pablo Montoya, #42 86 Laps

 

News - Crew Chief For The No. 83 Team In The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Penalized For Rule Violation at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
 

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 27, 2010) – NASCAR has penalized Jimmy Elledge, crew chief for the No. 83 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, for a rule violation committed last week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Elledge has been fined $25,000 for violating Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.3A (improperly attached weight) of the 2010 NASCAR rule book.
The violation was discovered during practice on July 24.

NEWS & NOTES
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series News & Notes – Pocono

 

Hamlin Seeks Series Sweep At Pocono

Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Toyota) has plenty of reasons

for optimism as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series arrives at Pocono

Raceway for this Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500.

So do Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge), Kyle Busch

(No 18 M&M’s Toyota) and Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet).

Adding to the dynamics, the conclusion of Sunday’s race

marks the completion of the fifth of 10 races that make up the Race

to the Chase. Only five races will remain for drivers to make it into

the top 12 of the standings, which would make them eligible for the

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

After June’s series stop at Pocono, Hamlin was in Victory Lane

for the fourth time in 2010, and had jumped from fifth to third in the

series standings. It also was his fourth career Pocono win, tying him

with Gordon as the leading active Pocono race winners.

Hamlin seems to have a charmed relationship with the unor-

thodox track, a triangle formed by three turns of different radius and

three different lengths of straight-aways. He scored his first and

second career wins at Pocono, sweeping both events in 2006. And

he’s the defending champion of Sunday’s Sunoco/American Red

Cross 400.

“Pocono is really unlike any other track, Hamlin said. “The turns all have their own characteristics but

they are all relatively flat and those are the kinds of corners that I feel I’m best on.

“Turn 1 is a very wide sweeping corner but it’s got a little bit of banking to it, so you need to have a car

that basically will stay up on the banking.

“The second corner, the tunnel turn, is very flat and it’s very fast. That’s really where you can gain a

lot of time on guys. And you know, it drives like a road-course kind of corner.

“The other corner is like a short track – almost like Phoenix in Turns 3 and 4 – it’s very flat and very

wide and it comes out sweeping to the long straightaway.

“It’s a lot like a mixture of race tracks, a track that rewards a guy who is very smooth on corner entry

and I think that’s where it kind of plays into my strengths.

“Pocono is also tricky because it’s easy to overlook how complex the track is and how fast you are

moving. You can’t take anything for granted at Pocono. If you lose focus, it will make life tough for you.”

While Gordon hasn’t won a NASCAR Sprint Cup race in more than a year, his four career Pocono

wins and two Pocono poles lend him some optimism.

“This track is a very challenging race track and always has been,” said Gordon. Owner of Hendrick

Motorsports, Rick Hendrick, has a total 11 Pocono wins dating back to 1986.

Kurt Busch has a pair of Pocono wins (2005, 2007). He qualified fourth, led three laps, and finished

sixth in June’s event. Busch’s car owner, Roger Penske, has a total of eight Pocono wins with four differ-

ent drivers, including Busch in 2007.

Kyle Busch has yet to win at Pocono but proved in June that he and his team have the place figured

out. Busch won his first Pocono Coors Light Pole Award in June, led three times for 32 laps, and finished

second to Hamlin.

Driver Points

1 Kevin Harvick 2,920

2 Jeff Gordon 2,736

3 Denny Hamlin 2,660

4 Jimmie Johnson 2,659

5 Kurt Busch 2,658

6 Kyle Busch 2,630

7 Jeff Burton 2,615

8 Matt Kenseth 2,573

9 Tony Stewart 2,544

10 Carl Edwards 2,496

11 Greg Biffle 2,462

12 Clint Bowyer 2,446

Fast Facts

The Race: The Sunoco Red Cross

Pennsylvania 500

The Place: Pocono Raceway

(2.5-mile triangle)

The Date: Sunday, August 1

The Time: 1 p.m. (ET)

Race Distance: 200 laps/500 miles

TV: ESPN, Noon (ET)

Radio: Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 128,

WZZO-FM 95.1

2009 Polesitter: None (weather)

2009 Winner: Denny Hamlin

Schedule Prior To Race Day:

Friday—Practice, 12-1:30 p.m. and

Qualifying, 3:40 p.m. Saturday—Practice,

9-9:50 a.m. and 11:20 a.m.-12:20 p.m.

Track Contact:

Bob Pleban, (570) 646-2300;

bpleban@poconoraceway.com

RACE 21 @ POCONO RACEWAY

2010 Series Standings

• Race To The Chase Heats Up At: Pocono Raceway

• Commonwealth Of Pennsylvania Ready For It’s 100th Race

• McMurray Riding Major Momentum

• Loop Data: Harvick Hunting For Bonus Points

Denny Hamlin celebrated his fourth

win at Pocono Raceway earlier this

season.

Sunday Marks Pennsylvania’s 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup Event

This week’s Sunoco Red Cross Pennsyl-

vania 500 will be the 100th NASCAR Sprint Cup

Series race held in the Commonwealth of Penn-

sylvania. Sunday’s event also is the 66th series

event at Pocono Raceway.

Bill Elliott is the all-time leading Pocono

race winner with five victories there. Jeff Gordon

and Denny Hamlin lead active drivers with four

wins. Inactive drivers with four Pocono wins in-

clude Tim Richmond, Rusty Wallace and Darrell

Waltrip.

Active drivers with three Pocono wins in-

clude Bobby Labonte (No. 71 TaxSlayer.com

Chevrolet) and Geoff Bodine (No. 36 Tommy

Baldwin Racing Chevrolet). Inactive drivers

with three Pocono wins include Bobby Allison

and Dale Jarrett.

Langhorne Speedway, a one-mile dirt circle,

hosted 17 NASCAR Sprint Cup races between

1949 and 1957. Herb Thomas and Dick Rathmann

were the series leading winners there with

three each.

Lincoln Speedway, a .500-mile dirt oval in

New Oxford, Pa., hosted seven events between

1955 and 1965, with Buck Baker winning two.

Heidelberg Raceway, a .500-mile dirt oval in

Carnegie, Pa. near Pittsburgh, held four events

between 1949 and 1960. Lee Petty won two.

The Reading (Pa.) Fairground’s .500-mile

dirt oval hosted an event in 1958 and 1959. Both

were won by NASCAR Hall of Famer Junior

Johnson.

Pennsylvania tracks that hosted one race

were the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, .500-mile dirt

track (race won by Herb Thomas in 1953); New

Bradford Speedway, .333-mile dirt oval (race won

by Junior Johnson in 1958); Pine Grove Speed-

way, a .500-mile dirt oval in Shippenville, Pa.

(race won by Tim Flock in 1951); and Williams

Grove Speedway, a .500-mile dirt oval that

hosted an event in 1954, won by Herb Thomas.

With his second win of the season coming in

the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis, Jamie

McMurray (No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker

Boats Chevrolet) picked up 30 points and

moved from 18th to 16th in the series standings.

He is now 151 points behind current 12th-place

driver Clint Bowyer (No. 33 Wheaties Fuel

Chevrolet).

After this Sunday’s Sunoco Red Cross

Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, five races

will remain for drivers to make the Chase for the

NASCAR Sprint Cup.

McMurray has had flashes of success at

Pocono, most notably a Coors Light Pole Award

in 2005. But he’s posted only three career top-10

finishes there with a best finish of ninth in 2004

and 2008. He also finished 10th at Pocono in

2005. In June’s event, McMurray qualified 18th

but finished 36th due to an accident.

A strong performance at Pocono this week-

end could extend the momentum his Earnhardt

Ganassi team needs to excel through the Race

to the Chase.

“Pocono is a unique track… and it’s the only

triangular race track we compete on all season

long,” McMurray said. “The unique layout of the

track forces us to look at a few different aspects

of our race car. Horsepower is the key at Pocono

and you need to have a fast and powerful car

since there are three different straightaways.”

McMurray noted that teammate Juan Pablo

Montoya (No. 42 Target Chevrolet) posted

finishes of eighth and second at Pocono in 2009,

which, with information sharing, could assist his

own team’s performance at “The Tricky Triangle”.

McMurray and principle team owner Chip

Ganassi have shared a history-making season

so far. At Indianapolis, McMurray became only

the third driver in 17 years to win both the Day-

tona 500 and Brickyard 400 in the same season.

The others are Dale Jarrett in 1996 and Jimmie

Johnson (No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet) in 2006.

Ganassi now has won an unprecedented

single-season “Triple Crown” that includes the

Daytona 500, the Indianapolis 500 (with Dario

Franchitti) and the Brickyard 400.

McMurray & Team Battling For Chase Berth

The Tracks That Make Up The 100

NASCAR Sprint Cup Races In Pennsylvania

Tracks # of Races

Pocono Raceway 65

Langhorne Speedway 17

Lincoln Speedway 7

Heidelberg Raceway 4

Reading Fairgrounds 2

Bloomsburg Fairgrounds 1

New Bradford Speedway 1

Pine Grove Speedway 1

Williams Grove Speedway 1

Jimmie Johnson Seeks Rebound As Series Heads To Pocono

Four-time and defending NASCAR Sprint

Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and his

Chad Knaus-led team seem to be comfortably

aligned for a seventh consecutive appearance in

the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Since joining the series full-time in 2002,

Johnson has finished no lower than fifth in the

final standings. He arrives at Pocono Raceway

fourth in points and a five-win season to date.

With his 22nd-place finish last week at Indi-

anapolis, Johnson placed outside the top 20 in

his third consecutive race. He had finished 25th

at Chicagoland Speedway and 31st at Daytona.

The slide has dropped Johnson from second to

fourth in the point standings race. He hasn’t

posted three straight finishes outside the top 20

since Aug. 8 - Aug. 22, 2004 with finishes of 36th

at Indianapolis, and 40th at Watkins Glen and

Michigan.

“Man, you just never know each week,”

Johnson said.

“It doesn’t matter if the No. 11 (Denny

Hamlin) car has been on a roll at times and

we’ve been on a roll at times and the No. 29

(Kevin Harvick) whoever it is, nobody seems to

be able to sustain (good finishes) for a long time.

“The only saving grace I see right now is

that no one has been able to link together a long

stretch (of good finishes) outside of the No. 29.

He’s been awfully tough. Good thing this isn’t the

Chase. That’s a good thing I can look at. But we’ll

move on. We’ll be stronger. There’s no doubt

about it.”

Jamie McMurray celebrates after winning the

Brickyard 400 last weekend at Indianapolis

Motor Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Chase Chances Take A Brickyard Hit

Six races remain until

the field is set for NAS-

CAR’s “playoffs” – the

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.

Though no driver has clinched a spot yet, a

number of them are mathematically comfortable.

For those few, it’s time to win. After race No. 26

at Richmond, the top 12 drivers will have their

points reset to 5,000, with 10 additional bonus

points added for each win during the regular

season.

Only 60 potential Chase bonus points re-

main.

Kevin Harvick (No. 31 Shell/Pennzoil

Chevrolet) certainly belongs in that “pretty safe

bet” group. The points leader has a hefty 536

point lead over the Chase cutoff, meaning only a

titanic slump would knock him out of the top 12.

He also has a 184-point lead over second place.

Problem is, if the Chase were to start today,

that lead would evaporate – and turn into a defi-

cit.

Harvick has two victories (for 20 bonus

points), which trails Jimmie Johnson’s and

Denny Hamlin’s five wins, and 50 bonus points.

The statistics suggest a third win could

come soon. Harvick certainly has the momentum,

scoring four top fives in the last five races – in-

cluding a runner-up finish last Sunday in Indian-

apolis. In those four finishes, Harvick has an

average finish of 2.8, a Driver Rating of 109.7, an

Average Running Position of 8.8 and a Laps in

the Top 15 percentage of 87.1%.

Harvick’s statistics at Pocono are similarly

stout. He finished fourth there in the series’ first

trip to the triangle, scoring a Driver Rating of

113.2, an Average Running Position of 6.4, while

running 195 of the 204 laps in the top 15.

He also cleared a hurdle that has blocked

him for the previous 18 Pocono races — he led a

lap. Harvick led five laps last June, the first of his

19-race Pocono career.

KURT’S ANGLE: Kurt Busch is in the

same situation. Currently a healthy 262 points

inside the top 12, Busch needs to focus on bonus

points. They could come this weekend. Busch

has two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 at Po-

cono, in his wins in 2005 and 2007.

With good performances over the next six

races, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 88 AMP Energy/

National Guard Chevrolet) could find his way

into the top 12 in the series standings which

would earn him a 2010 Chase for the NASCAR

Sprint Cup berth.

Earnhardt’s struggles last Sunday at Indian-

apolis widened the gap between himself and a

place in the top 12.

In the process of posting an Average Run-

ning Position of just 18.4, Earnhardt was col-

lected in the late-race accident of Juan Pablo

Montoya, and dropped him to a 27th-place fin-

ish.

Arriving at Indianapolis, Earnhardt was only

15 points outside the top 12. After the event, he

dropped to 14th in points, 93 points outside the

Chase cutoff.

Earnhardt’s best career day so far at Po-

cono came in 2007, when he won the Coors

Light Pole Award and finished second in the

August event.

Rebounding with that type of day at Pocono

following last week’s disappointment would go a

long way to bringing an optimistic outlook back to

Earnhardt and the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports

team.

For Points Leader Harvick, It’s All Or Nothing

Like his Hendrick Motorsports teammate,

Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mark Martin (No. 5 Go-

Daddy.com Chevrolet) also is in the mix for a

Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup berth. Martin

had a successful day at Indianapolis without

much fanfare, qualifying third, leading once for 10

laps and finishing 11th to move from 14th to 13th

in the standings.

He arrives at Pocono 62 points behind Clint

Bowyer. A fourth-place finish helped Bowyer

stay inside the top 12. Still, as the driver occupy-

ing the final Chase eligible spot, Bowyer is in the

most vulnerable position of Chase eligible driv-

ers.

Bowyer and Tony Stewart (No. 14 Old

Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet) waged a battle

for fourth place last week, with Bowyer coming

out on top. Stewart arrives in Pocono ninth in

points.

Bowyer Holds 12th In Standings; Martin Could Challenge

Dale Earnhardt

Jr. is currently

14th in the

NASCAR Sprint

Cup Series driver

standings, 93

points out of

12th.

Mark Martin is 13th in the standings

NSCS Etc.: Pocono Raceway

►Crossing Over:

At least three full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup

Series drivers will be crossing over to the other

side of the garage at Pocono Raceway this

weekend.

Denny Hamlin, Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser

Ford), and Elliott Sadler (No. 19

Stanley Ford) have entered Pocono’s inaugural

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event, the

Pocono Mountains 125, Saturday.

Hamlin will drive the No. 15 Billy Ballew

Motorsports Toyota; Kahne the No. 18 Kyle

Busch Motorsports/Toyota Dealers Toyota,

and Sadler the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc./Grand

Touring Vodka Chevrolet.

►Manufacturers’ Standings:

Chevrolet continues to hold sway in the

manufacturers’ standings after Jamie McMurray

won at Indianapolis last week, bringing Chevro-

let’s win total to 10 this season.

Toyota currently is second, 20 points be-

hind Chevrolet. Toyota teams have posted eight

wins this season.

Chevrolet has the most wins at Pocono

Raceway with 24, but Denny Hamlin gave Toy-

ota its first two wins at the 2.5-mile track, winning

in ‘09 and earlier this season.

►Fast Facts:

Nine drivers in the current top 12 of the

NASCAR Sprint Cup standings finished in the top

12 of the June event at Pocono Raceway.

They are, in order of current point standings:

1. Kevin Harvick, 3. Denny Hamlin, 4. Jimmie

Johnson, 5. Kurt Busch, 6. Kyle Busch, 7. Jeff

Burton, 9. Tony Stewart, 10. Carl Edwards, 12.

Clint Bowyer.

 

 

Statistical Advance: The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 At Pocono Raceway

 
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 26, 2010) – Below is a look at some of the top statistical performers at Pocono Raceway going into The Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 on Aug. 1.
 

 

Jeff Burton (No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet)
·        Enters Pocono seventh in points
·        Seven top fives, 16 top 10s
·        Average finish of 16.2
·        Average Running Position of 14.2, 11th-best
·        Driver Rating of 89.1, 13th-best
·        45 Fastest Laps Run, 10th-most
·        853 Green Flag Passes, 11th-most
·        1,321 Laps in the Top 15 (62.5%), 11th-most
·        416 Quality Passes (passes of cars in the top 15 under green), ninth-most
 
Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite/Vortex Dodge)
·        Fifth in points
·        Two wins, seven top fives, 10 top 10s
·        Average finish of 15.9
·        Average Running Position of 11.6, seventh-best
·        Driver Rating of 103.7, second-best
·        241 Fastest Laps Run, second-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.993 mph, second-fastest
·        1,489 Laps in the Top 15 (70.4%), sixth-most
·        402 Quality Passes, 12th-most
 
Carl Edwards (No. 99 Aflac Ford)
·        10th in points
·        Two wins, four top fives, five top 10s
·        Average finish of 13.3
·        Average Running Position of 15.1, 13th-best
·        Driver Rating of 98.5, fifth-best
·        141 Fastest Laps Run, fourth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.542 mph, ninth-fastest
·        1,270 Laps in the Top 15 (60.1%), 13th-most
·        384 Quality Passes, 13th-most
 
Jeff Gordon (No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet)
·        Second in points
·        Four wins, 16 top fives, 24 top 10s; two poles
·        Average finish of 10.7
·        Average Running Position of 11.0, third-best
·        Driver Rating of 96.1, sixth-best
·        30 Fastest Laps Run, 13th-most
·        889 Green Flag Passes, fourth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.679 mph, sixth-fastest
·        1,532 Laps in the Top 15 (72.5%), fourth-most
·        482 Quality Passes, third-most
 
Denny Hamlin (No. 11 FedEx Office Toyota)
·        Third in points
·        Four wins, six top fives, seven top 10s; two poles
·        Average finish of 8.6
·        Series-best Average Running Position of 9.3
·        Series-best Driver Rating of 119.1
·        Series-high 328 Fastest Laps Run
·        Series-best Average Green Flag Speed of 159.505 mph
·        1,405 Laps in the Top 15 (82.2%), eighth-most
 
Kevin Harvick (No. 29 Shell/Pennzoil Chevrolet)
·        NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader
·        Three top fives, six top 10s
·        Average finish of 15.1
·        Average Running Position of 14.6, 12th-best
·        Driver Rating of 90.1, 11th-best
·        911 Green Flag Passes, second-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.407 mph, 13th-fastest
·        440 Quality Passes, seventh-most
 
Jimmie Johnson (No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet)
·        Fourth in points
·        Two wins, six top fives, 11 top 10s; two poles
·        Average finish of 9.5
·        Average Running Position of 10.9, second-best
·        Driver Rating of 103.7, second-best
·        119 Fastest Laps Run, fifth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.940 mph, third-fastest
·        1,607 Laps in the Top 15 (76.0%), second-most
·        449 Quality Passes, fifth-most
 
Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Ford)
·        17th in points
·        One win, three top fives, five top 10s; two poles
·        Average finish of 16.4
·        Average Running Position of 14.0, 10th-best
·        Driver Rating of 92.0, 10th-best
·        155 Fastest Laps Run, third-most
·        899 Green Flag Passes, third-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.642 mph, seventh-fastest
·        1,290 Laps in the Top 15 (61.0%), 12th-most
·        449 Quality Passes, fifth-most
 
Matt Kenseth (No. 17 Crown Royal Ford)
·        Eighth in points
·        Three top fives, eight top 10s
·        Average finish of 14.2
·        Average Running Position of 13.1, ninth-best
·        Driver Rating of 89.6, 12th-best
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.555 mph, eighth-fastest
·        1,408 Laps in the Top 15 (66.6%), seventh-most
·        483 Quality Passes, second-most
 
Mark Martin (No. 5 Hendrickcars.com/GoDaddy.com Chevrolet)
·        13th in points
·        19 top fives, 32 top 10s; three poles
·        Average finish of 11.1
·        Average Running Position of 11.3, fourth-best
·        Driver Rating of 95.8, seventh-best
·        75 Fastest Laps Run, sixth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.775 mph, fourth-fastest
·        1,589 Laps in the Top 15 (75.2%), third-most
·        431 Quality Passes, eighth-most
 
Ryan Newman (No. 39 U.S. ARMY Chevrolet)
·        15th in points
·        One win, six top fives, seven top 10s; two poles
·        Average finish of 13.4
·        Average Running Position of 11.6, sixth-best
·        Driver Rating of 94.5, eighth-best
·        857 Green Flag Passes, 10th-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.436 mph, 12th-fastest
·        1,490 Laps in the Top 15 (70.5%), fifth-most
·        479 Quality Passes, fourth-most
 
Tony Stewart (No. 14 Office Depot Chevrolet)
·        Ninth in points
·        Two wins, eight top fives, 17 top 10s; one pole
·        Average finish of 11.9
·        Average Running Position of 11.5, fifth-best
·        Driver Rating of 101.4, fourth-best
·        70 Fastest Laps Run, ninth-most
·        860 Green Flag Passes, eighth-most
·        Average Green Flag Speed of 158.753 mph, fifth-fastest
·        Series-high 1,612 Laps in the Top 15 (76.3%)
Series-high 485 Quality Passes
 
Chase Contenders
The Top 12
 
Following Race 20 of 36
 
                                                                                Rank          Season    
                                                                                Last           Driver
Driver                                Pts     Wins      Poles       Week         Rating
 
1. Kevin Harvick              2,920    2           0             1               95.4
2. Jeff Gordon                2,736     0           0             2             105.9
3. Denny Hamlin              2,660     5           0             4               92.0
4. Jimmie Johnson          2,659     5           0             3              108.1  
5. Kurt Busch                 2,658     2           2             5                98.7
6. Kyle Busch                 2,630     2           2             6                97.1
7. Jeff Burton                 2,615     0           0             7              102.2 
8. Matt Kenseth              2,573     0           0             8                82.6
9. Tony Stewart             2,544     0           1             9                88.6
 10. Carl Edwards              2,496     0           0             10              83.4
 11. Greg Biffle                  2,462     0           0             11               85.6
 12. Clint Bowyer               2,446     0           0             12               90.5
        ___________________________________________________
 
ADDITIONAL DRIVERS
 
13. Mark Martin            2,384                           34. Kevin Conway        1,299
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr.   2,353                           35. David Gilliland        1,260
15. Ryan Newman        2,299                           36. Brian Vickers          1,158
16. Jamie McMurray     2,295                           37. David Stremme        825
17. Kasey Kahne         2,290                            38. Joe Nemechek         811
18. David Reutimann   2,269                            39. Mike Bliss                799
19. Joey Logano          2,241                           40. Max Papis                770 
20. Martin Truex Jr.      2,145                           41. Dave Blaney            662
21. AJ Allmendinger     2,136                           42. Bill Elliott                  609          
22. JP Montoya           2,121                           43. Casey Mears            599
23. Paul Menard          2,102                           44. Michael McDowell       508
24. David Ragan         1,939                           45. Reed Sorenson          493
25. Brad Keselowski    1,936                            46. J.J. Yeley                 491
26. Scott Speed          1,926                           47. Boris Said                  399
27. Marcos Ambrose    1,839                           48. Robert Richardson      249
28. Elliott Sadler          1,799                           49. Todd Bodine               221
29. Sam Hornish Jr.    1,768                            50. Michael Waltrip           200
30. Regan Smith         1,663                            51. Terry Cook                164
31. Bobby Labonte      1,537                            52. Aric Almirola              154
32. Robby Gordon       1,438                            53. Johnny Sauter           154
33. Travis Kvapil         1,394                            54. Landon Cassill           146
 
Note: The first 26 races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season determine which 12 drivers qualify for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup, contested over the final 10 races of the season.
 
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Top 12 at Pocono Raceway
 

 

 
Driver
Races
Poles
Wins
Top Fives
Top 10s
DNFs
Average Finish
Driver Rating*
 
1
Kevin Harvick
19
0
0
3
6
2
15.1
90.1
2
Jeff Gordon
35
2
4
16
24
5
10.7
96.1
3
Denny Hamlin
9
2
4
6
7
0
8.6
119.1
4
Jimmie Johnson
17
2
2
6
11
0
9.5
103.7
5
Kurt Busch
19
0
2
7
10
3
15.9
103.7
6
Kyle Busch
11
1
0
2
3
2
19.6
83.1
7
Jeff Burton
33
0
0
7
16
4
16.2
89.1
8
Matt Kenseth
21
0
0
3
8
0
14.2
89.6
9
Tony Stewart
23
1
2
8
17
2
11.9
101.4
10
Carl Edwards
11
0
2
4
5
0
13.3
98.5
11
Greg Biffle
15
0
0
1
2
2
18.3
85.3
12
Clint Bowyer
9
0
0
1
5
0
16.6
78.1

 

 
* – Driver Rating based on last 11 Pocono Raceway races.


 

 

At Pocono Raceway
History

·
        Opened in 1968 as a three-quarter-mile track, Pocono Raceway held the first race on the 2.5-mile track in 1971.
·        The first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race was in 1974.
 
      Notebook
·        There have been 65 NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono Raceway.
·        There was one race from 1974 through 1981, and two per year since.
·        All NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Pocono have been scheduled for 500 miles.
·        Buddy Baker won the first pole.
·        There have been 36 different pole winners, including David Pearson who won the pole there in June 1984 but did not race; 15 drivers have more than one pole there.
·        The pole has been swept just three times: Bill Elliott (1985), Ken Schrader (1993), Denny Hamlin (2006).
·        Richard Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Pocono.
·        28 different drivers have won races at Pocono, led by Bill Elliott, with five victories; 20 drivers have won more than once there.
·        There have been six season sweeps at Pocono, the last by Denny Hamlin in 2006.
·        Bobby Allison and Tim Richmond each won three consecutive races at Pocono.
·        47 of 65 Pocono races have been won from a top-10 start.
·        The June 2005 race was won by Carl Edwards from the 29th starting position, the deepest in the field that a race winner has started.
·        Rick Hendrick leads all car owners with 11 Pocono victories.
·        Mark Martin leads all drivers in top fives (19) and top 10s (32), but has yet to win at Pocono. His best finish was second, six times (most recently in August 2004).
·        Denny Hamlin (8.6) and Jimmie Johnson (9.5) are the only active drivers to average a top-10 finish.
 
NASCAR in Pennsylvania
·        There have been 99 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in Pennsylvania.
·        137 drivers in NASCAR’s three national series (all-time) have their home state recorded as Pennsylvania.
·        There are three race winners from Pennsylvania in NASCAR’s three national series:

 
 

 

SCHEDULES

2010 NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES SCHEDULE
Date       Site
Feb. 6     Daytona International Speedway (Budweiser Shootout At Daytona *)
Feb. 14   Daytona International Speedway
Feb. 21   Auto Club Speedway
Feb. 28   Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 7  Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 21 Bristol Motor Speedway
March 28 Martinsville Speedway
April 10   Phoenix International Raceway
April 18   Texas Motor Speedway
April 25   Talladega Superspeedway
May 1     Richmond International Raceway
May 8     Darlington Raceway
May 16   Dover International Speedway
May 22   Lowe’s Motor Speedway (NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race *)
May 30   Lowe’s Motor Speedway
June 6    Pocono Raceway
June 13   Michigan International Speedway
June 20   Infineon Raceway
June 27   New Hampshire Motor Speedway
July 3      Daytona International Speedway
July 10    Chicagoland Speedway
July 25    Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Aug. 1     Pocono Raceway
Aug. 8     Watkins Glen International
Aug. 15   Michigan International Speedway
Aug. 21   Bristol Motor Speedway
Sept. 5   Atlanta Motor Speedway
Sept. 11  Richmond International Raceway
Sept. 19  New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Sept. 26  Dover International Speedway
Oct. 3     Kansas Speedway
Oct. 10   Auto Club Speedway
Oct. 16   Lowe’s Motor Speedway
Oct. 24   Martinsville Speedway
Oct. 31   Talladega Superspeedway
Nov. 7    Texas Motor Speedway
Nov. 14   Phoenix International Raceway
Nov. 21   Homestead-Miami Speedway
* – Denotes non-point event.