NASCAR Podcast
Sellout Crowd: Bristol’s Streak Reaches 55
There will be 160,000 people packed and stacked into the BMS half-mile coliseum Saturday night, marking the 55th consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup sellout for the famed oval. The streak dates to August 28, 1982. The streak began Aug. 28, 1982 when Darrell Waltrip edged Bobby Allison by less than a second in front of an estimated 30,000 fans.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Aug. 17, 2009) – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion Jimmie Johnson will be honored at the White House on Wednesday, August 19. The South Lawn event will include 2008 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers and several past champions and special guests.
“NASCAR is once again honored to have its drivers recognized by the President of the United States,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “NASCAR is rooted deep in America’s fabric and represents the best of sports and side-by-side competition.”
Joining Johnson for the celebration will be members of the 2008 Chase field: Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer, Jeff Burton, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Carl Edwards, Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin and Tony Stewart. (Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth cannot attend due to schedule conflicts).
Past champions and special guests in attendance will be: Dale Jarrett, Bobby Labonte, Terry Labonte, Juan Pablo Montoya, Richard Petty, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip.
This will be the ninth time the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion has been honored at the White House since 2000. NASCAR’s first official visit to the White House was in 1978 during the Carter administration.
(A little fuel mileage joke there)
BROOKLYN, Mich. (Aug. 16, 2009) — Polesitter Brian Vickers ran out of gas at the end of Sunday’s Carfax 400 at Michigan International Speedway.
It’s a good thing it was on the way to Victory Lane.
Jimmie Johnson wasn’t so lucky. Despite a concerted effort to save gas, the reigning and three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Johnson ran out of fuel with just over two laps left in the race. When Johnson ducked onto pit road, he handed the lead to Vickers, who had been riding in Johnson’s wake.
Photo Credit: CIA Stock Photo
“That’s what I’m talking about!” Vickers exulted after crossing the finish line ahead of Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. “Great call, guys. Great job.”
Vickers’ win was the second of his career, the first for Red Bull Racing and the first for Toyota at Michigan.
Vickers, Johnson and Gordon last came to the pits on Lap 149. Earnhardt, on the other hand, stopped under caution on Lap 159 and rocketed toward the front after a restart on Lap 162.
RACE RECAP | CUP |MICHIGAN
10 Denny Hamlin
9 David Reutimann
8 Clint Bowyer
7 Joey Logano
6 Casey Mears
5 Sam Hornish Jr.
4 Carl Edwards
3 Dale Earnhardt Jr. great run for the 88
2 Jeff Gordon moves to 2nd in points
VICTORY LANE
1 The pole sitter Brian Vickers saved enough fuel to finish first at Michigan. It’s Brian’s second career Cup Series win and the first win for Toyota in Michigan. Brian is now just 12 points outside the top 12 in points.
OTHER STORIES ON THE DAY
-Kurt Busch pounded the inside wall after touching David Ragan’s machine, Kurt ends up 36th on the day and drops to 6th in points
-Kyle Busch hoping to get into the top 12 in points notched a 23rd place finish and dropped two spots in the standings to 15th
-Juan Pablo Montoya cut a tire down after contact with Kasey Kahne and ends up 19th
-Jimmie Johnson led the most laps in this one, but with 3 laps to go, the 48 ran out of fuel while leading and finished 33rd
-Mark Martin ran out of fuel on the last lap sending him to 31st
The Final Lap Weekly 