NASCAR Cup Series

Matt Kenseth, driver of the No. 17 Valvoline NextGen Ford Fusion, is second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series point standings to Roush Fenway Racing teammate Greg Biffle. Kenseth, who is 20 points out of the top spot, met with reporters before Friday’s first practice session.

Sprint (NYSE: S) and Ford (NYSE: F) have added to the excitement of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup as one lucky fan will drive away with the actual pace car being used during Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Nov. 16-18 – a new 2013 Ford Fusion Titanium.

DANICA PATRICK, NO. 10 GODADDY.COM CHEVROLET, met with members of the media at Bristol Motor Speedway and discussed her outlook on both the Nationwide and Cup races this weekend, what goes through her mind when she is leading a race, expectations for next week’s events at Atlanta and much more

As the summer winds down so does NASCAR’s regular season of racing. Only three races remain before the cutoff to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Richmond on September 8. Carl Edwards currently sits 12th in the points but the next three races are at tracks where he runs well and could help secure his seventh Chase berth.

Toyota Racing today announced 'Racing For Awareness,' a friendly competition among women affiliated with the Toyota NASCAR program -- including wives, girlfriends, mothers and sisters, as well as one racer -- in support of breast cancer awareness. Nine women affiliated with the Toyota Racing program have each used their creativity and vision to design a T-shirt to recognize breast cancer awareness. Fans can vote for their favorite design at www.toyotaracing.com/RacingForAwareness from now through Oct. 4, 2012 at 12 PM (ET).

THE NUMBERS for The IRWIN Tools Night Race: Bristol Motor Speedway (all 103 Sprint Cup Races) 0 – fewest cautions for a race at Bristol Motor Speedway (7/11/71)

Ford Racing comes into this weekend off back-to-back victories in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series by Marcos Ambrose (Watkins Glen) and Greg Biffle (Michigan). The last time Ford won three straight NSCS races came at the end of 2010 and start of 2011.

On Thursday, Aug. 23, four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon and defending winner of the AdvoCare 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, visited the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta to host a dolphin race between two of the aquarium’s resident dolphins.

Ross Chastain took advantage of several late cautions and charged from twentieth to a career best third in the final fifty laps of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 200 Wednesday night at the Bristol Motor Speedway.

Three races to go before the Chase deadline. Some like it hot, but over the course of the season find themselves needing wins, not just points, to make the cut. Some have been good over the season, but could last about 5 minutes as legitimate contenders for the title based on how they have performed lately.