Kyle Larson and Brian Scott make Sprint Cup debuts in Bank of America 500
As the green flag falls Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway there are only six races left in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. Not only will the Bank of America 500 be a vital race to the thirteen drivers in contention for the championship, but it will be a monumental race in the NASCAR careers of Kyle Larson and Brain Scott, who will be making their NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debuts.
These drivers follow a long list of sixty-two other drivers that have made the Sprint Cup Series starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway, including current drivers Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.
Larson, who currently sits ninth in points standings for his first NASCAR Nationwide Series season with Turner Scott Motorsports, will be driving the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet this weekend at Charlotte and again in two weeks at Martinsville.
Having already signed a deal with Earnhardt Ganassi Racing to be the full-time driver of their No. 42 Chevrolet next season, Larson is taking this opportunity to gain some Sprint Cup Series experience before his full-time transition in 2014.
“I am very excited to get behind the wheel of a Cup car in Charlotte…especially getting to race with the Target bulls eye on the car,” Larson said. “I have a lot of work to do to prepare for the 2014 season and I cannot wait to get it started.”
Racing open-wheel cars and World of Outlaws Sprint cars as a teenager, winning the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship, and earning his first NASCAR Camping and World Truck Series race this season at Rockingham Speedway, have given Larson the notoriety of being one of NASCAR’s most talented young drivers.
Larson has spent some time in a Cup car, having tested at Rockingham Speedway and last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He will be starting the race in 21st position.
“My main goal is to try to finish the race,” Larson said. “I’d like maybe a top 17th or 18th-place finish. We were really good at Charlotte in the Nationwide race this spring. I’d say it’s in my top five favorite tracks.”
Brian Scott starts the Bank of America 500 in a slightly different situation than Kyle Larson. Although he does not have a full-time ride in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series next season, he is in a two-year deal with Richard Childress Racing with the plan of preparing for a future transition to the Cup series.
“When I first started to talk to Richard, it was with the understanding my aspirations were to be able run in the Cup series,” Scott said. “We went into this season working on being able to do a handful of Cup races and looked at some races that could work and eventually we settled on Charlotte.”
Scott said, “I think Charlotte is a great place to make my first start. Considering Richard Childress Racing won the Coca-Cola 600 in May, I think they have a good hold on the track and I should have a good starting point to try to get caught up on speed.”
Scott’s only recent experience in a Cup car was last week when his RCR team tested at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
After his test run, Scott said, “The test went good. A lot of it trying to figure out the difference in cars between the series, how to get speed and then we actually started working on the car and eventually did some mock qualifying runs. We had some fun with it. We felt our speed was good. The guys seemed pretty excited and I am, too.”
Scott will be starting the Bank of America 500 in 19th position, and will run another full Nationwide season with Richard Childress Racing in 2014.
NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver – 39 going on 500
With six races to go in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, driver of the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Dale Earnhardt Jr. has a lot to celebrate this weekend in Charlotte, NC.
NASCAR’s ten time most popular driver celebrated his 39th birthday Thursday, and will be making his 500th Sprint Cup Series start under the lights Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Making his 500th Cup Series start at Charlotte is poetic. Charlotte Motor Speedway is where he made his Sprint Cup Series debut in 1999 and is also the home of his first career pole award in 2000.
In twenty-seven Cup starts at Charlotte, Earnhardt has earned one pole position, five top-5’s and eleven top-10 finishes.
“It doesn’t seem like I’ve been around that long to be honest with you.” Earnhardt Jr. said regarding his 500th start. “It just doesn’t. We race a lot of races, though. We run a lot more races during the season than they did in year’s past. It’s been a pleasure being a part of the Series and seeing the changes and the growth. I hope to be around and witness a lot more. It’s just been a dream to be able to succeed and make a living in this sport so I’ve got a lot to be thankful for.”
Should Earnhardt end up in victory lane this weekend, he would join only two other drivers who won their 500th career start. Richard Petty won his 500th career start in 1970 and Matt Kenseth earned the honor three weeks ago at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
In 499 Sprint Cup starts, Earnhardt Jr. is tied for 12th among full-time drivers with 19 victories, posting 111 top-5 finishes, 199 top-10’s, and 13 pole positions. He has led a total of 7,377 laps.
Earnhardt, still looking for his first win this season, currently sits eighth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings, trailing leader Matt Kenseth by 54 points.
Watch the green flag fall Saturday in the Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Speedway as Earnhardt, driving the Time Warner Cable Chevrolet SS, attempts to join the elite group of 500th start winners and close the gap on the Chase points leaders as he celebrates his 39th birthday going on 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts.
