TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: FORT WORTH, TEXAS
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 7 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 7:30 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, APRIL 11 (FOX/PRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 34 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
SEASON-TO-DATE: After the first six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season, Kasey Kahne currently ranks first in quality passes (602), third in average running position (9.428), fifth in laps in the top 15 (1,589), fifth in fastest drivers on restarts (9.167 average rank), tied for sixth in fastest drivers late in a run (7.500 average rank), seventh in fastest drivers early in a run (8.500 average rank), seventh in green-flag speed (7.500 average rank), seventh in fastest speed in traffic (8.333 average rank), seventh in driver rating (97.4) and 10th in fastest laps run (49).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: On Friday, April 10, Kahne will celebrate his 35th birthday. Kahne has spent 12 of those years racing in the Sprint Cup Series, collecting 17 wins, 84 top-five finishes, 148 top-10s and 26 pole positions.
KAHNE AT TEXAS: Kahne went to Victory Lane at Texas on April 9, 2006, after starting from the pole position and leading 63 laps. Three of the 28 (10.7 percent) Sprint Cup Series races at Texas Motor Speedway have been won from the pole position, including Kahne’s victory. The driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet SS has an average start of 12.9 there.
TEXAS LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR loop data during the last 20 Sprint Cup Series races at Texas, Kahne ranks sixth in green-flag passes (1,462) and seventh in quality passes (718). He also ranks eighth in fastest laps run (233), 10th in laps in the top 15 (4,184) and 10th in speed in traffic (172.347 mph).
INTERMEDIATE STATS: Kahne has collected 10 of his 17 career Cup wins and 15 of his 26 pole positions at ovals one-to-two miles in length. In 194 starts on those tracks, he has posted 45 top-five finishes and 76 top-10s.
TEXAS CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-911 for Saturday night’s race at Texas. In October 2014, Kahne drove the car to a 10th-place finish at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Most recently in March 2015, he drove the car at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where he finished 14th.
GREAT CLIPS / GREAT CLIPS RACING VIP SWEEPSTAKES: Great Clips will adorn the hood of Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Texas and will be the primary sponsor on the car for nine more Sprint Cup Series races this year: Bristol Motor Speedway (April 19), Richmond International Raceway (April 25), Kansas Speedway (May 9), Michigan International Speedway (June 14), Sonoma Raceway (June 28), Daytona International Speedway (July 5), New Hampshire Motor Speedway (July 19), Chicagoland Speedway (Sept. 20) and Homestead-Miami Speedway (Nov. 22). Now until Aug. 13, fans can enter for the chance to win a VIP racing experience thanks to Great Clips. The sweepstakes’ grand prize includes a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina, with airfare as well as hotel accommodations covered for three nights, tickets to the NASCAR races at Charlotte Motor Speedway Oct. 9-10, a behind-the-scenes tour at the track, and the opportunity to meet Kahne. For more information, please click here.
No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon
Driver Jeff Gordon Hometown Pittsboro, Indiana
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Panasonic Chevrolet SS, is scheduled to visit the Texas Motor Speedway media center at 3:15 p.m. local time Friday.
LONE VICTORY IN THE LONE-STAR STATE: On April 5, 2009, Jeff Gordon led 105 laps en route to his lone victory in The Lone-Star State. That win was his 82nd career victory in NASCAR’s premier division.
ONLY GORDON: The 43-year-old driver is the only individual to compete in all 28 Sprint Cup events at Texas Motor Speedway.
PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK: The No. 24 Chevrolet SS will feature Panasonic Toughbook (@Toughbook) during the upcoming Texas Motor Speedway race weekend. Panasonic will also be the primary sponsor of the No. 24 car during the June 14 event at Michigan International Speedway.
TV ANALYST: On Friday night, Gordon will join the Fox Sports 1 broadcast of the XFINITY Series race as an analyst. He is also scheduled to be a part of the XFINITY broadcasts at Bristol on April 18 and Talladega Superspeedway on May 2.
TEXAS CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-861 for this Saturday night’s race. The chassis has been raced five times previously – all in 2014 – with finishes of 17th at Atlanta, sixth at Michigan (June), seventh at Charlotte (May) and Darlington and 13th at Fontana.
No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 39 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
LOWE’S PROSERVICES IS BACK ON THE 48: Jimmie Johnson will race the No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS in this weekend’s race in Texas. Lowe’s Commercial Services are designed to help customers save time and money and make their businesses run smoother. Stores across the country have a dedicated ProServices team ready to help by offering five percent off everyday purchases with a Lowe’s Business Credit Account, quick-turn, customizable quotes on volume purchases, providing an order ahead option and pulling materials for pick up, giving reduced delivery rates and offering bulk discounts on supplies used the most.
ONLY FOUR-TIME WINNER AT TEXAS: Johnson drove the No. 48 Chevrolet SS to Victory Lane last fall after starting third and leading 191 laps en route to his fourth win at the mile-and-a-half track in Fort Worth, Texas, which leads all drivers.
JOHNSON STELLAR IN TEXAS: Johnson has the second highest driver rating at Texas with a 105.7 just behind leader Matt Kenseth. His average finish in the Lone Star State is 9.3.
CHANGE OF DATE FOR “REPEAT AFTER ME” TUNE-IN: On a recent trip to Los Angeles, Johnson made a stop at Warner Brothers Studio to film a new show on ABC called “Repeat After Me” with host Wendi McLendon-Covey (The Goldbergs). The episode in which Johnson took part is currently scheduled to air on Tuesday, April 14 at 8:30 pm ET on ABC (check local listings). Ellen DeGeneres is an executive producer on the show and Johnson joins the ranks of celebrities Harry Connick Jr. (American Idol), Ellen Pompeo (Grey’s Anatomy), Kristen Bell (Frozen) and Scott Foley (Scandal).
TEXAS CHASSIS: For this weekend’s event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-928, which is a new car that has not been raced.
TEAM JJF WELLNESS CHALLENGE: Registration is open for the 2015 Jimmie Johnson Foundation Wellness Challenge. Register now for early-bird pricing and register for all three events and get a reduced rate. The first event is April 26, the Jimmie Johnson Foundation 5K in Huntersville, North Carolina. Log on to www.jjfwellnesschallenge.org for more details.
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 40 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
POLE POSITION: Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s two pole positions at Texas Motor Speedway are tied for first as career-bests for the 40-year-old driver. Earnhardt earned the top starting spot at the Lone Star State track in April 2001 and in April 2008, his first pole with Hendrick Motorsports. He also has two pole positions at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Michigan International Speedway.
FIRST WINS: Earnhardt, driver of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, earned his first career Cup and XFINITY Series wins at Texas. He was just seven races into his rookie season when he recorded his first Cup win on April 2, 2000. Then age 25, Earnhardt started the race fourth and led 106 laps on his way to Victory Lane. He recorded his first career win in the XFINITY Series on April 4, 1998, at Texas.
EARNHARDT AT TEXAS: In 25 Sprint Cup starts at Texas Motor Speedway, Earnhardt has an average starting position of 11.6, which is his second-best at all tracks. He has led at least one lap in 13 of those starts for a total of 448 laps.
CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend at Texas, crew chief Greg Ives will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-901. Earnhardt last raced the chassis to a 17th-place finish at Dover International Speedway in September 2014.
TEXAS DOUBLE: In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, Earnhardt will pilot JR Motorsports’ No. 88 Chevrolet in the XFINITY Series race on Friday. In seven XFINITY starts at Texas, Earnhardt has one win, three top-five finishes and five top-10s. It marks Earnhardt’s third XFINITY start of the season. Most recently, he drove the No. 88 Chevrolet to a 12th-place finish in the XFINITY event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last month.
THE BETTY JANE FRANCE HUMANITARIAN AWARD PRESENTED BY NATIONWIDE: People across the country can nominate their personal champion for The NASCAR Foundation’s Betty Jane France Humanitarian Award presented by Nationwide, the sport’s highest community service honor. Family, friends, and colleagues may nominate a personal champion at NASCAR.com/award. The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday, May 8, at midnight ET.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT TEXAS: In 28 Cup events at Texas, Hendrick Motorsports has six wins, six pole positions, 28 top-five finishes and 49 top-10s. Johnson most recently went to Victory Lane for the organization in November 2014 after starting third. He ranks tied for first among drivers all-time with four wins, and his 17 top-10 finishes at the 1.5-mile oval rank tied for first. Johnson’s average finish of 9.1 ranks second behind Matt Kenseth (8.9). Gordon and Earnhardt rank tied for first all-time with two pole positions.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 232 victories, 202 pole positions, 948 top-five finishes and 1,574 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 64,194 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“I think it starts with people, being more of a team and working better together as well as understanding and supporting each other. We have a strong group of guys on this No. 5 Great Clips team, and they’ve always done a really nice job of preparing for each race weekend. We know we’re capable of running well and winning races, so having this better attitude has been beneficial for us so far this year.”
Kasey Kahne on how the No. 5 team continues to improve
“Texas is my kind of track. It’s a fast track with a lot of grip, but it falls off and you have to search around the racetrack. It reminds me somewhat of Atlanta and, believe it or not, the setups are not that far off from Atlanta.”
Jeff Gordon on comparing Texas to Atlanta Motor Speedway
“Texas is a lot of fun to drive. I really like how the track has evolved, the bumps, the wear that the track promotes for the tires – and all that really puts it back into the teams’ hands of having a driveable race car. Being able to comfortably stay in the throttle there is really important to sort out – it’s not an easy thing to do. You have to focus on the areo package even though you want to soften things up in the car for mechanical grip to make it drive smoother. The hardest part of the track to figure out is the long green flag runs.”
Jimmie Johnson on racing at Texas Motor Speedway
“We have had a lot of good runs at Texas. The surface is real wide and gives you a lot of options as a driver to find speed and find a good balance. It’s just a fun track. I feel like our team is strong and I’m looking forward to getting to the track and putting a good car on the grid for Saturday’s race.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on racing at Texas Motor Speedway
