KANSAS SPEEDWAY (1.5-MILE OVAL)
LOCATION: KANSAS CITY, KANSAS
EVENT: NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES (RACE 11 OF 36)
TUNE IN: 7:30 P.M. ET, SATURDAY, MAY 9 (FS1/MRN/SIRIUSXM)
No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet SS / Kasey Kahne
Driver Kasey Kahne Hometown Enumclaw, Washington
Age 35 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
9th in standings
10 starts
0 wins
0 pole positions
1 top-five finish
4 top-10 finishes
38 laps led
Career
406 starts
17 wins
26 pole positions
84 top-five finishes
150 top-10 finishes
4,579 laps led
Kansas Career
15 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
4 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
102 laps led
SEASON-TO-DATE: After the first 10 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races this season, Kasey Kahne currently ranks second in laps in the top 15 (2,750) and fourth in average running position (11.426). He ranks fifth in following categories: fastest speed in traffic (9.900 average rank), fastest drivers on restarts (11.200 average rank), fastest drivers late in a run (7.750 average rank), fastest drivers early in a run (8.000 average rank) and green-flag speed (7.375 average rank). Kahne also ranks sixth in fastest laps run (127), seventh in driver rating (95.5) and is tied for eighth in quality passes (807).
KANSAS POLE WINNER: With three pole positions at Kansas, Kahne is tied for first all-time at the 1.5-mile oval with teammate Jimmie Johnson. Kahne last scored the No. 1 starting spot there in October 2012.
KAHNE AT KANSAS: Kahne has qualified in the top 10 in nine of his 15 races at Kansas Speedway. Kahne also is tied with Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Newman for the series’ most runner-up finishes at Kansas with two each.
KANSAS LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR loop data during the last 14 Sprint Cup Series races at Kansas, Kahne ranks third in green-flag passes (989), tied for fourth in closers (15 positions moved up in last 10 percent of laps in each race), sixth in fastest laps run (155), seventh in laps in top 15 (2,434), eighth in fastest drivers early in a run (169.170 mph), eighth in fastest on restarts (162.651 mph), eighth in green-flag speed (167.483 mph), eighth in speed in traffic (166.554 mph), ninth in average running position (13.205), ninth in driver rating (92.7), 10th in quality passes (473) and 10th in fastest drivers late in a run (166.544 mph).
INTERMEDIATE STATS: Kahne has collected 10 of his 17 career Cup wins and 15 of his 26 pole positions at tracks one-to-two miles in length. In 195 starts on those ovals, he has posted 45 top-five finishes and 77 top-10s.
KANSAS CHASSIS CHOICE: Crew chief Keith Rodden has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-888 for Saturday’s race at Kansas. Most notably in 2014, Kahne led 70 laps and finished sixth driving the chassis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July and raced it at Pocono Raceway in August, where he started 12th and finished 10th. Most recently, Kahne drove the chassis at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March, where he ran inside the top three for the majority of the race. However, he was involved in a late-race incident when a competitor sent him toward the wall on a restart. He ultimately finished 17th.
GREAT CLIPS / GREAT CLIPS RACING VIP SWEEPSTAKES: Great Clips will adorn the hood of Kahne’s No. 5 Chevrolet SS this weekend at Kansas, and will be the primary sponsor on the car for six more Sprint Cup Series races this year: 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 sweepstake’s 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, behind-the-scenes tour at the track, and the opportunity to meet Kahne. For more information, please visit http://bit.ly/18SLkLD.
FARMERS INSURANCE / FARMERS RACING ART SERIES: This Thursday, Kahne will visit Paseo Academy High School in Kansas City, Missouri, to meet the students who have been participating in the Farmers Racing Art Series program. This year, Farmers Insurance has partnered with Paseo Academy to create a series of racing-related hero cards and posters that are being designed by the school’s art students. Farmers is making a donation to the school’s art program. Through ThankAmericasTeachers.com, Farmers has been committed to recognizing teachers and providing resources for educational initiatives throughout the country. For more information, please visit www.facebook.com/FarmersRacing.
No. 24 American Red Cross Chevrolet SS / Jeff Gordon
Driver Jeff Gordon Hometown Pittsboro, Indiana
Age 43 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
13th in standings
10 starts
0 wins
3 pole positions
1 top-five finish
6 top-10 finishes
161 laps led
Career
771 starts
92 wins
80 pole positions
321 top-five finishes
460 top-10 finishes
24,825 laps led
Kansas Career
18 starts
3 wins
0 pole positions
10 top-five finishes
12 top-10 finishes
218 laps led
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE KANSAS: Jeff Gordon, defending race-winner and driver of the No. 24 American Red Cross Chevrolet SS, has the most victories and top-five finishes at Kansas while he is tied for most starts.
INAUGURAL WINNER: On Sept. 30, 2001, Gordon won the inaugural Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway – Gordon’s sixth win during his fourth championship season. He would make it two-for-two at Kansas when he visited Victory Lane on Sept. 29, 2002.
POLE-LESS AT KANSAS: Although Gordon ranks third all-time with 80 career pole positions, Kansas Speedway is one of two tracks where he has yet to win a pole position. Kentucky Speedway is the only other venue where Gordon has never set the fastest lap during qualifying.
KANSAS CHASSIS: Crew chief Alan Gustafson has selected Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 24-914 for Saturday night’s race. The chassis has been raced twice – once in 2015 at Atlanta and once in 2014 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Earlier this year, Gordon finished 41st at Atlanta after being involved in a lap-264 accident while running in the top 10. In the 2014 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Gordon led 161 laps from the pole position en route to a 10th-place finish.
RED CROSS RACING: The American Red Cross and 3M are entering the eighth year of the successful and innovative partnership, Red Cross Racing. This year, the No. 24 American Red Cross Chevy SS is a SleevesUp design to encourage fans to roll their sleeves up and make an appointment to give blood. Race fans can pledge to give on Gordon’s personal SleevesUp Campaign page.The goal is 400 donors – one for each mile of the race in Kansas.
No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS / Jimmie Johnson
Driver Jimmie Johnson Hometown El Cajon, California
Age 39 Resides Charlotte, North Carolina
2015 Season
3rd in standings
10 starts
2 wins
0 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
7 top-10 finishes
354 laps led
Career
481 starts
72 wins
33 pole positions
199 top-five finishes
299 top-10 finishes
17,505 laps led
Kansas Career
17 starts
2 wins
3 pole positions
6 top-five finishes
14 top-10 finishes
586 laps led
PENDING MILESTONES: Jimmie Johnson did not finish out of the top-three the entire month of April. If he finishes in the top-five this weekend in Kansas, it will mark Johnson’s 200th top-five and 300th top-10 finish in 482 career starts.
SOMETHING ABOUT A MILE-AND-A-HALF: Johnson has 22 wins on mile-and-a-half tracks. He has seven wins at Charlotte Motor Speedway, five at Texas Motor Speedway, four at both Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway and two at Kansas Speedway.
AT KANSAS: Johnson owns the series-best driver rating at Kansas with a score of 112.1. He has an average finish of 9.5 at the mile-and-a-half track. Johnson also leads the series in laps led at Kansas with 586.
KANSAS CHASSIS: For this weekend’s event, crew chief Chad Knaus has selected chassis No. 48-910, which was the race-winner at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March. The backup car is 48-824, which last raced at Pocono Raceway in June 2014.
TICKET PACKAGE AT DOVER: Get access to an exclusive question-and-answer session with six-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and nine-time Dover winner Johnson! Fans will also receive one adult ticket and one junior ticket (ages 14 and younger) in the lower section of the turns for the May 31 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Get all of that for only $60! See more at www.Doverspeedway.com.
No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS / Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Hometown Kannapolis, North Carolina
Age 40 Resides Mooresville, North Carolina
2015 Season
5th in standings
10 starts
1 win
0 pole positions
5 top-five finishes
6 top-10 finishes
104 laps led
Career
551 starts
24 wins
13 pole positions
132 top-five finishes
230 top-10 finishes
7,951 laps led
Kansas Career
17 starts
0 wins
1 pole position
2 top-five finishes
8 top-10 finishes
146 laps led
Dale Earnhardt Jr. will be available to members of the media on Friday at 10:15 a.m. local time in the Kansas Speedway media center.
TALLADEGA WIN: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won his sixth Talladega Superspeedway race last weekend, tying teammate Gordon for the most Sprint Cup wins at the track by an active driver. His career Cup win total is now at 24 points events. Earnhardt is 31st on the all-time win list in his 16th season in the Sprint Cup Series. He now has nine points-paying wins on superspeedways.
CHASSIS CHOICE: This weekend at Kansas, crew chief Greg Ives and the No. 88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-920. Earnhardt first raced the chassis to a third-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway in March.
INTERMEDIATE TRACK STATS: In 266 Cup starts on intermediate (one- to two-mile) tracks, Earnhardt has recorded six wins, eight pole positions, 56 top-five finishes and 112 top-10s. He has an average starting position and an average finishing position of 16.1 on these racetracks.
DRIVER RATING: According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Earnhardt ranks 10th in the driver rating category over the last 14 races at Kansas with an average score of 91.3. The driver rating is a formula that combines the following categories: wins, finishes, top-15 finishes, average running position while on the lead lap, average speed under green, fastest lap, most laps led and lead-lap finishes. The maximum points a driver can earn in each race is 150 points. The driver rating number is used pre-race as a prediction tool and post-race as a performance evaluator.
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 at midnight ET.
Hendrick Motorsports
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT KANSAS: With five victories at Kansas, Hendrick Motorsports ranks first among teams all-time at the 1.5-mile speedway. Gordon ranks first all-time with three wins at the track, while Johnson’s two victories at Kansas rank tied for second with three other competitors. Gordon also ranks first with 10 top-five finishes, while Johnson ranks first with 14 top-10s and 586 laps led at Kansas.
HONORING A TEAMMATE: This weekend at Kansas Speedway, all four Hendrick Motorsports cars will carry a special decal in memory of longtime teammate Wayne Stemler. Stemler, 63, was the first member of the Hendrick Motorsports accounting department, where he worked for 29 years. He passed away April 28 after a long and courageous battle with cancer.
ORGANIZATION STATS: To date, Hendrick Motorsports has totals of 234 victories, 203 pole positions, 955 top-five finishes and 1,585 top-10 finishes in Sprint Cup competition. Its teams have led 64,498 laps since 1984.
QUOTABLE /
“Kansas is a great track, and we’ve run pretty well there in the past. Since the repave, it seems to get better each trip. The last couple years, the track has been nice to race on where we are able to move around from the top to the bottom. The track is fast and our cars get around pretty good, so it puts on a good show for the fans.
“I always enjoy coming to Kansas. It’s one of my favorite tracks to race at and, in my opinion, it’s definitely a top-three place where NASCAR goes throughout the season. I also enjoy the Kansas City area because there’s a lot to do, so it’s always a fun time.”
Kasey Kahne on racing at Kansas
“It will be interesting to get back to Kansas this year. They had a lot of snow out there this winter, so we will see what that does to the track. Ever since the repave, the track has been very smooth and fast but it has started losing some color in the last year — definitely a grayer racing surface and that seemed to lead to some great racing and multiple grooves in the last Kansas race.”
No. 5 team crew chief Keith Rodden on racing at Kansas
“Kansas is a great track for us, and it has been ever since it opened up. I like the transitions from the straightaways to the corners. That track just suits me as a driver. I just feel comfortable there.”
Jeff Gordon on racing at Kansas
“My mom has meant everything to me. She has been so supportive of my racing career from the start. She played a part in everything we did. And she’s a great grandmother, as well, and I love seeing her interact with my kids.”
Jeff Gordon on his mom in advance of Mother’s Day on Sunday
“I feel really good heading into Kansas. It’s one of our favorite tracks, it’s fast and we’ve won there a few times. The mile-and-a-half tracks have really been the bread and butter for the No. 48 Lowe’s team. Moving forward, we are working on getting our race cars better for the Chase.”
No. 48 team crew chief Chad Knaus on racing at Kansas
“This win had a lot of responsibility behind it with Greg (Ives) being the new crew chief. We’ve got a lot of new guys over the wall, new guys in the garage. A lot of changes. Brand‑new sponsor, a lot of pressure there, trying to get those guys to Victory Lane. My dad’s birthday. A lot of things really happened at once when we crossed the finish line.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. on winning at Talladega
