NASCAR Cup Series

Charlotte Recap: Denny Hamlin finished second to race winner Clint Bowyer in Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the #11 FedEx Ground Toyota to close the gap on points leader Brad Keselowski as the 2012 Chase for the championship reached the halfway mark.

The pace is rapid, and according to driver Kurt Busch, that’s the way it needs to be as the Furniture Row Racing team is in the midst of getting prepped for the 2013 NASCAR Sprint Cup season.

Penske Racing and Cintas, a leader in business to business services and the world’s largest corporate identity uniform provider, announced today that the organizations have agreed to a multi-year extension of their current partnership.

Camry driver Clint Bowyer took the checkered flag at Charlotte Motor Speedway after saving just enough fuel to complete Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race on the 1.5-mile track. Bowyer, who led the field three times for 29 laps (of 334), recaptured first place on lap 310 and saved fuel for the final 25 circuits while holding off the field, including Denny Hamlin who finished second after leading 36 laps. Camry drivers Kyle Busch (fifth), Mark Martin (sixth), Joey Logano (ninth) and Martin Truex Jr. (10th) also recorded top-10 finishes at Charlotte.

Clint Bowyer smiles a lot. He’s smiling even more these days. He’s become the quiet surprise of the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. He’s got momentum on his side and two welcome tracks in front of him.

In a race now known as one without an Earnhardt and without a North Carolina born driver, here is what else was surprising and not surprising from the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Keselowski ran out of fuel while leading on lap 59 at Charlotte, and that miscalculation may have cost him the win. After a late stop for gas, Keseklowski emerged 16th and finished 11th. He now leads Jimmie Johnson in the point standings by seven.

One has to admire Dale Earnhardt, Jr. Even though medical test couldn't show that he had a concussion, he knew something was wrong and the symptoms indicated that he shouldn’t drive a stock car.

Sunday October 21st – Jamie McMurray will visit the Team Chevy stage at 9:15 a.m. followed by his No. 1 over-the-wall pit crew at 10:00 a.m. Stewart-Haas Racing teammates Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick will stop by the Team Chevy stage for a question and answer session at 10:15 a.m.

Four days of NASCAR action will return to Phoenix International Raceway next month with the AdvoCare 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event weekend at PIR November 8-11. The event schedule for the fall race weekend, which features the semi-final race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup, hosts a race from four different NASCAR racing series: Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Truck and the K&N Pro Series-West.