By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

CONCORD, N.C. — In his first Nationwide Series start of the season — and his first ever in the current-generation racecar — Matt Kenseth out-dueled Roush Fenway Racing teammate Carl Edwards to win Saturday’s Top Gear 300 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Subbing for sidelined Trevor Bayne, Kenseth won the 26th Nationwide race of his career. Edwards ran second, followed by Kyle Busch, polesitter Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Reed Sorenson. Brad Keselowski, Steve Wallace, Brian Scott, Aric Almirola and Elliott Sadler completed the top 10.

In his Nationwide debut, Kimi Raikkonen fought the handling of his No. 87 Toyota before a pit-road speeding penalty and damage to the front splitter relegated him to a 27th-place finish.

“It feels really good to beat Carl,” Kenseth said. “He’s one of the best out there every Sunday and Saturday, and when you can beat him at the game, you know you had a good day.”

Within one victory of tying Mark Martin for the career wins lead in the series at 49, Busch passed Edwards for the lead on Lap 60 and held it — with the exception of Lap 74 under caution — until Kenseth slipped past him at the finish line to complete Lap 103 of 200.

“It’s funny; Matt comes and runs a one-off and beats us both,” Busch said with a wry chuckle. “Those guys (Kenseth and Edwards) were definitely faster than us today. They had the cars to beat.”

Kenseth was still out front after a cycle of green-flag pit stops when caution flew on Lap 148 because of debris on the backstretch. Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Stenhouse, Keselowski, Sorenson and Joey Logano were among those who came to pit road for fuel and tires on Lap 150, while Edwards, Busch, Kasey Kahne and Jason Leffler stayed out, confident they had enough fuel to go the distance.

But Edwards, who last pitted on Lap 137, pulled away from Busch after a restart on Lap 155 and maintained a half-second lead over Kenseth. In the final 15 laps, however, Kenseth closed the gap and challenged his Roush Fenway Racing teammate for the top spot.

On lap 195, they swapped the lead, with Kenseth powering past Edwards through Turn 2 and Edwards regaining the point in Turn 3. Kenseth waved at Edwards when he made the initial pass.

“I would have felt pretty stupid if I hadn’t gotten back by him,” Kenseth said in victory lane.

Kenseth made the pass stick on Lap 198 and pulled away to win by .763 seconds.

Edwards said the handling of his car tightened up in the final few laps.

“The car just got tighter and tighter, and with these cars, when it gets tight, you slow down through the middle of the corner — and it’s over,” Edwards said.

Sadler retained the series lead by one point over Stenhouse and two over Sorenson.

JEREMIAH WEED UNITES NASCAR DRIVER MATT KENSETH AND STRONGMAN
TO KICK OFF SUMMER AND REINFORCE DRINKING RESPONSIBLY

New Premium Flavored Malt Beverages Campaign Brought to Life through Racecar Safe Rides Pull

Charlotte, NC—(May 26, 2011)—With thousands gathering in Charlotte for the race weekend and the quintessential start of summer, one particular fan is competing in a race of his own—one that involves only his sheer physical strength and the No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Ford Fusion. Strongman and resident “This is Jeremiah Weed” ad campaign star Rendy DeLaCruz will race against the clock to pull a real life stock car 100 feet in 60 seconds or less—all while NASCAR champion Matt Kenseth watches effortlessly from behind the wheel.

AUDIO: INTERVIEW WITH RENDY DELACRUZ

The event is meant to reinforce that if you’ve had too much to drink, you should always find a safe ride home regardless of the means. For every foot that DeLaCruz successfully pulls the No. 17 Jeremiah Weed Ford Fusion, Jeremiah Weed will distribute pre-paid taxi vouchers (up to 500) to encourage responsible decision-making among consumers of legal drinking age. Each voucher is valued up to $10 and redeemable through Charlotte’s Crown Cab throughout the race weekend. Just for attempting the feat, Jeremiah Weed will distribute 200 vouchers.

“I’ve tested my strength in a lot of different ways from flipping a 1,000 pound tire to pulling a plane. While I might not get the No. 17 Jeremiah Weed car going as fast as Matt Kenseth is used to, I assure you he’ll get from point A to point B safely, and that’s the message we want adults to hear,” said DeLaCruz. “There’s always another, safer way home if you’ve had too much to drink: simply call a friend or take a taxi. But, to avoid that all together, drink responsibly. Even badasses know better than to overdo it.”

DeLaCruz is featured in Jeremiah Weed’s new “This is Jeremiah Weed” ad campaign that showcases the brand’s new line of premium flavored malt beverages: Lightning Lemonade®, Roadhouse Tea™ and Spiked Cola™. A digital short documentary-style video about DeLaCruz, along with those of the other featured personalities, were designed to celebrate the badass individuals that make up the fabric of America and can be viewed at http://www.facebook.com/JeremiahWeed.

Beginning on Speed Street, midway between Stonewall and MLK Jr. Blvd, DeLaCruz will pull Kenseth’s car through MLK Jr. Blvd. with the goal of making it to the corners of MLK Jr. Blvd. and Brevard Street in 60 seconds or less. All consumers of legal drinking age are invited to watch the pull beginning at 4:30pm EST.

“It’s just Rendy and about 3,500 pounds of car, so he definitely has a challenge ahead of him,” NASCAR’s most recent NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point winner Matt Kenseth said. “This is the type of feat that Jeremiah Weed is known for—one that pushes limits and reveals what a man is truly made of. I’m excited to not only be a part of the pull, but also support Jeremiah Weed in its effort to provide adult consumers with safe rides home throughout the race weekend.”

Jeremiah Weed’s line of premium flavored malt beverages are for those celebrating the good times of life, and especially designed for those who grab life by the horns. The 12 and 23.5-ounce canned beverages, each at 5.8% ABV, provide a new twist to the beloved Jeremiah Weed trademark, and are available nationwide for a suggested retail price of $2.49 – $2.79 for 23.5-oz and $7.99 for a 12-oz six-pack.

“This holiday weekend serves for many as the kick-off celebration to summer,” said Abby Wise, Director of Marketing and Innovation, Diageo. “Jeremiah Weed is a brand that prides itself in celebrating no matter the occasion, and with this time of year being full of cookouts, corn hole and unplanned adventures, Rendy’s attempt to pull Kenseth’s car is the perfect accent to a race weekend in Charlotte. It’s an added privilege to provide safe transportation for those of legal drinking age.”

Please visit http://www.facebook.com/JeremiahWeed to learn more about Rendy, the “This is Jeremiah Weed” ad campaign and Jeremiah Weed’s line of premium flavored malt beverages, and please remember that even badasses should always drink responsibly.

1 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Dodge 28.112 192.089
2 43 A J Allmendinger U.S. Air Force Ford 28.170 191.693
3 99 Carl Edwards Scotts EZ Seed Ford 28.171 191.686
4 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Toyota 28.218 191.367
5 31 Jeff Burton Caterpillar Chevrolet 28.236 191.245
6 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Summer Salute Chevrolet 28.262 191.069
7 00 David Reutimann Aaron’s Armed Forces Foundation Toyota 28.284 190.921
8 6 David Ragan UPS Ford 28.302 190.799
9 21 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.(i) Motorcraft / Quick Lane Tire & Auto Ford 28.309 190.752
10 33 Clint Bowyer Cheerios / Hamburger Helper Chevrolet 28.316 190.705
11 24 Jeff Gordon Drive to End Hunger / AARP Chevrolet 28.331 190.604
12 39 Ryan Newman U.S. Army Chevrolet 28.337 190.564
13 5 Mark Martin CARQUEST / GoDaddy.com Chevrolet 28.360 190.409
14 56 Martin Truex Jr. NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 28.391 190.201
15 16 Greg Biffle 3M Ford 28.397 190.161
16 27 Paul Menard Moen / Menards Chevrolet 28.411 190.067
17 4 Kasey Kahne Red Bull Toyota 28.437 189.893
18 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 28.441 189.867
19 17 Matt Kenseth Jeremiah Weed Ford 28.442 189.860
20 78 Regan Smith Furniture Row Chevrolet 28.456 189.767

PODCAST: Coke 600 Preview Show

21 18 Kyle Busch M&M’s Toyota 28.505 189.440
22 14 Tony Stewart Office Depot / Mobil 1 Chevrolet 28.509 189.414
23 20 Joey Logano The Home Depot Toyota 28.523 189.321
24 9 Marcos Ambrose DeWalt Ford 28.528 189.288
25 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. National Guard / AMP Energy Chevrolet 28.581 188.937
26 22 Kurt Busch Shell / Pennzoil Dodge 28.595 188.844
27 47 Bobby Labonte Kingsford / Bush’s Best Baked Beans Toyota 28.624 188.653
28 29 Kevin Harvick Budweiser / Armed Forces Chevrolet 28.660 188.416
29 42 Juan Pablo Montoya Target Chevrolet 28.699 188.160
30 34 David Gilliland Taco Bell Ford 28.716 188.048
31 38 Travis Kvapil(i) Long John Silver’s Ford 28.725 187.990
32 95 David Starr(i) Jordan Truck Sales Ford 28.732 187.944
33 66 Michael McDowell KEYper Systems Toyota 28.772 187.682
34 46 J J Yeley Red Line Oil Chevrolet 28.798 187.513
35 1 Jamie McMurray Bass Pro Shops / Tracker Boats Chevrolet 28.846 187.201
36 87 Joe Nemechek(i) NEMCO Motorsports Toyota 28.851 187.169
37 13 Casey Mears GEICO Toyota 28.878 186.994
38 30 David Stremme Inception Motorsports Chevrolet 28.890 186.916
39 32 Mike Bliss(i) blucigs.com Ford 28.968 186.413
40 09 Landon Cassill(i) Security Benefit / Thank A Teacher Chevrolet Owner Points
41 7 Robby Gordon Speed Energy / Harris Teeter / Sam’s Dodge Owner Points
42 36 Dave Blaney Disabled American Veterans Chevrolet Owner Points
43 60 Mike Skinner(i) Big Red Toyota 28.912 186.774

SHOW #158 – We recap the All Star Race Weekend, Preview the Coke 600, Kyle Busch caught speeding, Danica Patrick going full time NASCAR?, Jamie McMurray talks Joplin, and much more. Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Paul Northrop

LISTEN HERE (About 46 mins)

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DOWNLOAD HERE

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NOTE: Also HEARD on Stitcher Radio

CREDITS:
Hosts: Kerry Murphey & Paul Northrop
Production: Kerry Murphey
Music: Radium Sound
Voice Over: Thomas Moog

Stenhouse Jr. to Fill in for Bayne; Make Sprint Cup Debut in Coca-Coca 600

Kenseth to drive No. 16 Fastenal Mustang in Nationwide Race

CONCORD, N.C. (May 25, 2011) – Ricky Stenhouse Jr., will fill in for Trevor Bayne in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford in this Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The race will mark the Sprint Cup debut for the 2010 Nationwide Series rookie of the year, who won his first Nationwide Series race last weekend at Iowa Speedway.

“Obviously its not the circumstances that you want to make your first Sprint Cup start,” said Stenhouse. “But you grow up dreaming about this moment and I am excited and grateful for the opportunity; to not only make my first start, but to be able to drive the No. 21 Ford of the Wood Brothers in one of the biggest races of the season.

“Trevor is a very good friend of mine and he’s going to be around this weekend and I know that his help with the transition will be instrumental. Hopefully we can give him an effort that will make him proud before we turn the car back over to him for the rest of the season.”

“We can’t wait to have Trevor back with us, but we can’t think of a better driver to fill in than Ricky,” said Wood Brothers co-owner Eddie Wood. “Ricky has been doing an outstanding job in the Nationwide Series. Like Trevor, he is definitely one of the up and coming drivers in our sport and we are happy that he accepted the offer to step in before Trevor comes back for our next race.”

Matt Kenseth will drive Roush Fenway’s No. 16 Fastenal Ford in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Charlotte. It will be the 20th NNS start for Kenseth at Charlotte, where he has won twice in the Nationwide Series.

“Charlotte has always been a good track for both me and Roush Fenway in the Nationwide Series,” said Kenseth. “I’m excited to be a part of the three-car Fastenal fleet that we’ll have out there on Saturday and hopefully one of us will end up back in victory lane.”

Bayne will make his return to NASCAR next weekend in the Nationwide Series at Chicagoland. He will make his next Sprint Cup start in the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford two weeks later at Michigan.