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1 19 Carl Edwards Sport Clips Toyota 28.179 135.164
2 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 28.209 135.021
3 55 David Ragan Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota 28.209 135.021
4 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 28.271 134.725
5 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Freight Toyota 28.297 134.601
6 41 Kurt Busch Haas Automation Chevrolet 28.298 134.596
7 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevrolet 28.318 134.501
8 20 Matt Kenseth Dollar General Toyota 28.333 134.430

 

LISTEN: THE FINAL LAP WEEKLY NASCAR PODCAST #367 – BRENNAN POOLE – LOUDEN NEW HAMPSHIRE PREVIEW

9 5 Kasey Kahne Great Clips Chevrolet 28.340 134.397
10 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 28.419 134.023
11 1 Jamie McMurray McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet 28.424 133.999
12 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s/Budweiser Chevrolet 28.511 133.591
13 40 Landon Cassill(i) Interstate Moving Services/Precon Marine Inc. 28.387 134.174
14 16 Greg Biffle Safety-Kleen Ford 28.408 134.075
15 78 Martin Truex Jr. Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet 28.415 134.042
16 21 Ryan Blaney(i) SKF Ford 28.422 134.009
17 42 Kyle Larson Target Chevrolet 28.466 133.802
18 15 Clint Bowyer 5-Hour Energy Toyota 28.469 133.788
19 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Nationwide Chevrolet 28.538 133.464
20 10 Danica Patrick GoDaddy Chevrolet 28.541 133.450
21 13 Casey Mears GEICO Chevrolet 28.551 133.403
22 47 AJ Allmendinger Better Than Bouillon Chevrolet 28.598 133.184
23 24 Jeff Gordon AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet 28.623 133.068
24 3 Austin Dillon Dow Chevrolet 28.654 132.924
25 14 Tony Stewart Mobil 1 Chevrolet 28.664 132.877
26 31 Ryan Newman Quicken Loans Chevrolet 28.699 132.715
27 9 Sam Hornish Jr. Shaws/Smithfield Ford 28.719 132.623
28 27 Paul Menard Richmond/Menards Chevrolet 28.722 132.609
29 43 Aric Almirola Smithfield Ford 28.739 132.531
30 51 Justin Allgaier Brandt Chevrolet 28.740 132.526
31 6 Trevor Bayne AdvoCare Ford 28.770 132.388
32 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fastenal Ford 28.817 132.172
33 35 Cole Whitt Taco Bell Ford 28.832 132.103
34 34 Brett Moffitt # Dockside Logistics Ford 28.930 131.656
35 83 Matt DiBenedetto # Burger King Toyota 28.993 131.370
36 26 Jeb Burton # Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota 29.081 130.972
37 38 David Gilliland MDS Ford Owner Points
38 46 Michael Annett Pilot Flying J Chevrolet Owner Points
39 23 JJ Yeley(i) Dr Pepper Toyota Owner Points
40 7 Alex Bowman Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet Owner Points
41 32 Eddie MacDonald DraftDemons.com Ford Owner Points
42 33 Derek White(i) Braille Battery/Grafoid Chevrolet Owner Points
43 98 Timmy Hill(i) Residence Inn Ford Owner Points
# 62 Reed Sorenson.

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July 17, 2015

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

LOUDON, N.H. – As Carl Edwards put it, “things just feel right.”

That was Edwards’ take on the state of affairs at Joe Gibbs Racing, after he put his No. 19 Toyota on the pole for Sunday’s 5-Hour ENERGY 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN).

“Right now it just feels right,” said Edwards, who toured the Magic Mile in 28.179 seconds (135.164 mph) in Friday’s qualifying session to earn his first Coors Light Pole Award of the season, his first at New Hampshire and the 14th of his career.

“It’s just cool, man. My expectation is to do the best we can (on Sunday). My hope is that we win this thing. … We’ve been working very hard to bring this team together to be the best that we can be. It just feels right. This is cool. It’s a lot of fun.”

With JGR teammate Kyle Busch winning last Saturday’s event at Kentucky, the organization placed all its drivers in the top five, with Denny Hamlin, Edwards and Matt Kenseth trailing second-place Joey Logano of Team Penske.

Coincidentally, Logano (135.021 mph) qualified second to Edwards on Friday, with Michael Waltrip Racing’s David Ragan third (also at 135.021 mph) and Busch (134.025 mph) and Hamlin (134.601 mph) fourth and fifth, respectively.

Edwards, who improved dramatically on his previous average starting position of 14.9 at New Hampshire, didn’t believe initially that he had won the pole until he got reassurance from crew chief Darian Grubb.

On the other hand, Logano wasn’t particularly thrilled to run second to a Gibbs driver for the second time in six days.

“Second—it seems like the story of our week, coming off Kentucky with a strong second-place run and then qualifying second here as well,” Logano said. “Not that I’m complaining about it, but it’s not much fun finishing second, being so close to getting trophies and pole flags and all the fun stuff.

“There’s not really much fun that happens when you finish second, but we’re close. We’ve got speed in our race car once again.”

Danica Patrick advanced to the second round of knockout qualifying and will start 20th, one spot behind Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jeff Gordon, still seeking his first victory in his last season of full-time Sprint Cup racing, will start 23rd.

“Yeah, it’s not been a good day for us with the No. 24 car,” Gordon acknowledged. “We’ve been struggling getting the car to do what we need it to do. Just real tight through the center, need to get it to rotate, need some front grip, so we will go to work on it (Saturday in practice).

“It’s disappointing that we didn’t qualify better. We typically qualify well here and perform well here. We’ll put this day behind us and go work on it tomorrow and get it ready for Sunday.”

Notes: Reed Sorenson failed to make the 43-car field. … Logano posted the fastest speed in Friday’s time trials (135.448 mph) when he paced the second of the three knockout rounds, but it’s the final round that determines the pole winner.

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The Final Lap Weekly Podcast LogoSHOW #367 – Guest: Brennan Poole – We recap Kentucky, what did Brian France just say?, Days of Thunder is back, Casey Mears has new ink, Kenny Wallace goes out in style, plus a full New Hampshire Preview…or is it Louden? Hosted by Kerry Murphey and Toby Christie

( Roughly 48:00 mins)

Continue reading “The Final Lap Weekly NASCAR Podcast #367 – Brennan Poole – Louden New Hampshire Preview”

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Kenny Wallace 2012 Daytona 500 KENNY WALLACE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT CHAPTER IN RACING CAREER
–“Herman” Hopes to End NASCAR Career on Top; 547 Career Starts Will Mark a New Standard for Longevity in NASCAR’s Xfinity Series–

CHARLOTTE, NC (July 14, 2015)–The August 1st U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway will be Kenny Wallace’s third NASCAR Xfinity Series start of 2015. The ever-popular Wallace announced today that after what will be a series-record 547 career starts, the Iowa event will also mark the final start of his 26-year NASCAR career.

While his NASCAR career may be coming to a close, the man affectionately known to friends and fans as “Herman,” doesn’t plan to go out without a fight. He heads to Iowa with what is likely one of his best chances ever to capture the checkers. Wallace will be at the helm of the ever-competitive No. 20 U.S. Cellular Toyota in the event. The No. 20 team currently sits fourth overall in the Xfinity Series Owner Standings and won the pole position for the season’s first race at Iowa Speedway.

Wallace noted, “To me, this isn’t a sad moment; I’m at a truly happy place in my life right now. After all, not too many guys get to have the privilege of being a NASCAR driver, especially for as long as I have. I really wanted to end my long career on a positive note and I’m very excited about our chances in Iowa. The No. 20 team is one of the best in the sport and I’m looking forward to having a chance to end my NASCAR career with a great finish. I really want to thank U.S. Cellular for helping me make that happen.”

When all is said and done after Iowa, the former Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year and three-time Most Popular Driver will leave behind a remarkable legacy of longevity and perseverance that is nearly unparalleled in the sport. This is shown by what will be–following Iowa–an all-time record 547 career Xfinity Series starts and 904 combined NASCAR national series starts (14th all-time).

After making his NASCAR debut in Dale Earnhardt’s No. 8 Xfinity Series ride at Martinsville in 1988, Wallace would go on to finish among the top-10 in the Xfinity Series standings in 10 of his 14 full seasons, including a runner-up finish in 1991. His nine series wins and ten poles rank him among the top-40 all-time in both categories, while his 173 top-ten finishes mark the seventh-best all-time career total.

Wallace may have most often competed in the Xfinity Series, but he also enjoyed a fruitful career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as well, where he had 344 career starts, including three poles. While he may not have reached victory lane in the Cup series, Wallace played a vital role in several of its most memorable finishes, including pushing the late Dale Earnhardt to his final NASCAR victory at Talladega in 2000.

In recent years, Wallace has been able to capitalize on his charismatic personality and racing experience in becoming a NASCAR analyst for FOX Sports. In that role, he currently appears on Fox Sports 1’s NASCAR RaceDay and NASCAR Victory Lane shows.

Said Wallace, “Growing up as a kid and watching my Dad race in Rolla, MO, I never dreamed that I’d have the chance to do what I’ve done in my life. I’ve had a long and successful career and I’ve been able to support my family doing what I love. To me, it doesn’t get any better than that. I’m really proud of everything that I’ve been able to accomplish in NASCAR.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to be able to turn my NASCAR driving career into another career doing something else I love-that’s working with FOX Sports on television. Those guys have been great to me and I get a lot of happiness from being able to educate the fans about the sport that I love. I’m going to stay involved in the sport through TV and I’m going to stay behind the wheel in my dirt cars too.

“You know, everyone experiences change at some point and I’m honestly looking forward to opening the next chapter in my life. As always, I promise that I’m going to have a lot of fun doing it.”

Many fans know that Kenny Wallace is an avid user of the social networking platform Twitter, and enjoys engaging with fans through his username, @kenny_wallace. Starting today, fans are encouraged to tweet their favorite Kenny Wallace memories using the hashtag #thankskenny. The authors of Kenny’s top-26 favorite tweets-representative of his 26 years in NASCAR-will be rewarded with an autographed hat from the Iowa race weekend.

# # #

Kenny Wallace’s NASCAR Xfinity Series Career at a Glance (Before Iowa)
Starts: 546 (First All-Time)
Laps Completed: 101,673 (First)
Points Scored: 57,398 (Second)
Lead Lap Finishes: 247 (Third)
Earnings: $11,348,216 (Fifth)
Top-10 Finishes: 173 (T-Seventh)
Laps Led: 2,979 (19th)
Top-Five Finishes: 66 (22nd)
Poles: 10 (T-30th)
Wins: 9 (T-37th)
Top-10 Points Finishes: 10 of 14 full seasons

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during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts at Kentucky Speedway on July 11, 2015 in Sparta, Kentucky.

July 11, 2015

By Reid Spencer
NASCAR Wire Service

SPARTA, Ky. – Adapting adroitly to a new competition package for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series cars, Kyle Busch sped to victory in Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway, taking a giant step toward the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup with his second victory in seven races since returning from an 11-race injury absence.

Busch won for the 31st time in his career and the second time at the 1.5-mile track. Race runner-up Joey Logano was the only interloper in a top five that included all four Joe Gibbs racing drivers—Busch, Denny Hamlin in third, Carl Edwards in fourth and Matt Kenseth in fifth.

Busch grabbed the lead from Logano after several laps of intense racing, taking the point at the stripe on Lap 248 and clearing Logano’s Ford through Turn 2 on Lap 249 of 267. From that point, Busch pulled away to win by 1.594 seconds.

Busch led a race-high 163 laps, scoring a maximum 48 points and moving to 35th in the standings, 87 points behind Cole Whitt in 30th. Busch must finish the first 26 races in the top 30 in order to be eligible for the Chase.

It didn’t take long for NASCAR’s new lower-downforce aero package to have a visible effect on the racing. On Lap 95, after he had trimmed Kyle Busch’s four-second lead to a car-length, Brad Keselowski (whose winning chances were snookered by a series of snafus on pit road) tucked behind Busch’s Toyota Camry, took the air off the shorter 3.5-inch spoiler and shot into the lead.

Three laps later, Kurt Busch spun off Turn 4 when the rear of the No. 41 Chevrolet stepped out.

The new package also had an ostensible effect on brakes, putting more stress on the smaller rotors and calipers that have been in vogue with higher-downforce configurations. On Lap 136, Dale Earnhardt Jr. slapped the wall, unable to slow his car adequately in the corner.

Beyond that, the absolute dominance of the Hendrick Motorsports armada—including the Stewart-Haas Racing affiliates—was nowhere in evidence on Saturday night. Jimmie Johnson struggled and salvaged a ninth-place finish. Jeff Gordon (seventh) fell short in an ill-fated attempt to complete a career sweep of active Sprint Cup tracks.

Kevin Harvick (eighth) was good, but the reigning series champion was not up to his usual untouchable standard. Kurt Busch (10th) was fast, but not fast enough.

Overall, based on a sample size of one race, the new package seemed to shift the balance of power in the series, at least marginally, from the Chevys of Hendrick and Stewart-Haas to the Fords of Team Penske and the Toyotas of Joe Gibbs Racing.

Emblematic was a late-race restart on Lap 192. Logano got past Harvick immediately. Edwards followed in the No. 19 JGR Toyota 12 laps later, right before the race-record-tying 10th caution for Danica Patrick’s crash in Turn 4 (after a tap from Earnhardt, whose brakes were still malfunctioning) brought the field to pit road with 58 laps left.

Hamlin won the race off pit road and led JGR teammates Kyle Busch and Edwards to green on Lap 213. By the time the teammates got back to the stripe, they were three-wide barreling toward Turn 1. Hamlin shot ahead into the lead, Logano surged past Busch and Edwards into second, and Keselowski grabbed fifth place from Kenseth before Kyle Larson’s cut tire caused the 11th caution on Lap 219.

Logano and Kyle Busch roared to the front moments after the subsequent restart on Lap 225, and, 23 laps later, Busch had the lead for good.

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