Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 18, 2012 Photo – Getty Images
Bristol.
The history, short track racing and hot tempers make Bristol one of the most special places in the entire NASCAR world. Fans will come in from all over the world to see the cars race around the high banks of the World’s Fastest Half-Mile.
Names are made on this short track in Bristol, Tennessee and every year, a new face is running up front. As the Sprint Cup Series rolls into Bristol for another race in the 2013 season, excitement is assumed to show up simply because it’s Bristol Baby! The revamped surface made for an incredible and classic Bristol race last August and more of the same is expected this weekend. Continue reading →
NASCAR has fined driver Denny Hamlin $25,000 for comments he made following the March 3 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway.
NASCAR determined that Hamlin violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing) of the 2013 NASCAR Rule Book. Continue reading →
Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite, in action during NASCAR Testing at Charlotte Motor Speedway on January 18, 2013 Photo – Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
So far, the 2013 season has produced two Sprint Cup Series races on two entirely different tracks and this weekend the teams are in Las Vegas, with yet another different type of track for the drivers. Daytona is a super speedway and Phoenix is considered a one-mile short track.
But the most widely raced track on the Sprint Cup circuit is the 1.5-mile intermediate track, and that’s what drivers will race for the first time this season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway with their new generation six cars. Although it’s not their first Gen6 test on a 1.5-mile track, Las Vegas does represent their first full race on an intermediate venue.
How important is the extra test time scheduled for Thursday?
“Without a doubt the 1.5, two-mile tracks can make your entire season. That test day is going to be huge,” said Steve Letarte, crew chief of the No. 88 driven by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished in the top-ten in every 1.5- and two-mile race he ran in 2012. “As a crew chief, you are trying to figure out what area you should be working in.”
Rodney Childers, who oversees the No. 55 Toyota that Mark Martin put on the pole a week ago at Phoenix, agrees.
“With it being an intermediate track and a place that’s really fast, the aero part becomes the biggest thing that you fight and I think everybody in the garage needs to learn a little bit [more] about this new car and where the splitter needs to be compared to the race track,” Childers said.
Although teams tested the Gen6 car in Charlotte, also a 1.5-mile track, in January, there are some differences presented to drivers for their test at Las Vegas. The most obvious difference being weather conditions. But there’s more for drivers to consider as well. Continue reading →
It took almost two years but, Carl Edwards finally got back to victory lane Sunday afternoon in Phoenix. Edwards stayed up front for most of the race and he controlled the final seventy laps from the lead. Next week at Las Vegas would have been the two-year mark since Edwards’ last win but, now that stat is thrown out the window since Edwards has finally got back to victory lane. The race played out fairly calm but, definitely competitive and the last restart with two to go was stand-on-your-feet worthy. Continue reading →
