Logano wins the Food City 250 at Bristol
[media-credit name=”David Yeazell” align=”alignright” width=”223″]
[/media-credit]Joey Logano won the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) Food City 250 at Bristol Motor Speedway after a one hour delay due to rain. Logano led three times for 81 laps and captured first career Bristol win. This is Logano’s sixth NNS win of 2012 and the 15th NNS victory of his career.
“Man, it feels like it’s been a long time coming, but we finally got a victory here at Bristol. There are a lot of tracks that I’d like to win at, like all of them, but this is one of those places where I’ve always wanted to win and we’ve been so close over the years. We should have won this race last year and we should have won here in the spring. Now, we can leave here and say we are Bristol winners.” Logano said.
The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Toyota extended its lead in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Owner’s point standings by 13-points over the No. 2 of Richard Childress Racing (RCR)and a 32-point lead over the No. 6 of Roush-Fenway Racing (RFR).
Ricky Stenhouse, Kyle Busch, Austin Dillon and Elliott Sadler rounded out the top-5.
“It was a real good night for the Monster Energy Camry. All these guys — they worked hard, they did a good job and we missed a little bit of something tonight — kind of like last year.” Busch said.
Trevor Bayne started on the pole with a colorful paint scheme in honor of Pat Summitt and her Lady Vols. Summitt was the grand marshal and waved the green flag for “her car” to start the race! Bayne led for about a turn when Logano took the lead from the high side and started to pull away.
Lap five was when the first caution flag when the No.31 of Justin Allgaier got turned into the wall from Dillon in turn 2. Allgaier was not happy and tried to run him down. But he had a flat tire and spun into the outside wall in turn four and tore the back of his car off. Allgaier came into the pits and his crew chief was not happy. “He just flat wrecked us!”.
Nobody came in to pit because they could not fuel the car till lap 50 due to the competition caution.
They restarted the race on lap 11 with Logano, Bayne, Brian Scott, Stenhouse Jr. and Dillon in the top-5. Everyone got a great restart and Bayne got a good run off of two and took the lead. He was getting challenged from his teammate of Stenhouse who is driving a NOS Energy paint scheme. Stenhouse Jr. was trying to get the lead but Logano was sneaking up and challenged Stenhouse Jr.
The second caution arrived on lap 25 when Brad Keselowski smacked the wall when he was behind the lap car of Brad Teague and Scott had a run and bumped him in 3 and 4. Keselowski went in and had tons of splitter damage but also got docked a lap because he fueled the car up before the competition caution.
They went back to green on lap 32 but it didn’t last long. One lap later the No.31 of Allgaier cut a tire and threw some debris on the track. The only person that hit pit road was the No.20 when he radioed his crew chief saying he thought a tire was going down. They took four tires and was on there way. He restarted in the 28th position.
They went back to racing on lap 40 with Sadler as the race leader with Bayne, Dillon, Stenhouse Jr.and Busch as the top-5. Sadler cleared Bayne for the lead with Stenhouse Jr. following.
The fourth yellow was waved on lap 45 when the No.81 car of Jason Bowles spun on the front stretch. Bowles drove away and went to pit road to get some fresh tires. The leaders went to pit road and NASCAR decided to make this the competition caution. Bayne came in and was complaining of being two free and got only right side tires and was off. Busch could not drive in on the bottom and got a air pressure adjustment with four tires and fuel. Sadler got an adjustment and fuel only. Sadler won the race off pit road.
They got the green flag once again on lap 54 with Stenhouse Jr. leading. Stenhouse Jr. and Ryan Blaney did not pit and were first and second. Stenhouse Jr. cleared Blaney and was on his way. Blaney was getting freight trained and was out of the top-5 within 3 laps!
Brian Scott was in the wall on lap 63 when the No.54 of Busch just flat out turned him on the backstretch. Scott, who drives for Joe Gibbs racing, is kinda like a teammate to Busch since Busch drives for Joe Gibbs in the Sprint Cup Series. Scott went to the garage due to damage to the front bumper.
They went back to green on lap 69 with Stenhouse Jr., Sadler, Kevin Harvick, Kahne and Logano as the top-5. Stenhouse Jr. was opening a gap to second place of Kasey Kahne when Kahne passed Sadler and Harvick and was looking for the lead. Logano was getting more and more speed and passed Kahne for second and was challenging for the race lead. He was trying and trying but could not get it done. He finally took the lead when the lapped down cars were in front of the leaders and Logano made them as a pick for Stenhouse Jr.
They had a long green flag run until lap 113 when the No.41 of Fain Skinner spun and the caution came out. All the leaders came on to pit road in what could be the final stop of the night. Stenhouse Jr. came in and was reporting he was loose in and tight off and got four tires and fuel. Logano was too loose and got a air pressure and four tires and fuel. Bayne was describing his car as “snappy loose” and got also the four tires and was on his way. Blaney came in for his first stop and got four tires and fuel and said the car was fine. Harvick let the race off pit road with only taking two tires and fuel.
They went back to green on lap 122 with Harvick leading. Harvick was looking good but you can never count out the No.18 and his teammate Sadler.
Logano took the lead from Harvick on lap 170 but the caution waved on lap 173 when the No.24 of Benny Gordon spun out off turn 2.
They went back to racing on lap 180 with Logano and Harvick still battling side by side. They were beating and banging for multiple laps and Harvick was trying to hold him off but then Logano took over the top spot on lap 215 due to what else? Lap Traffic! He was pulling away till the caution came out on lap 228 when the No.99 of John Wes Townley cut a tire and was slowing on the backstretch.
Harvick had to go in during this caution due to being out of fuel and he would lose a lap. Harvick eventually got the lap back and finished 15th.
They went back to green on lap 235 with Logano leading. Logano pulled away with a dominant restart and looked to be on his way to victory until the caution came out on lap 242 when Dillon got loose and collected Bayne.
This set up a green white checkered where Logano pulled away for the final time for the victory.
| Unofficial Race Results | |||||
| Food City 250, Bristol Motor Speedway | |||||
| http://www.speedwaymedia.com/n2s/race.php?race=23 | |||||
| ========================================= | |||||
| Pos. | St. | No. | Driver | Make | Points |
| ========================================= | |||||
| 1 | – | 18 | Joey Logano | Toyota | 0 |
| 2 | – | 6 | Ricky Stenhouse Jr. | Ford | 43 |
| 3 | – | 54 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | 0 |
| 4 | – | 3 | Austin Dillon * | Chevrolet | 40 |
| 5 | – | 2 | Elliott Sadler | Chevrolet | 40 |
| 6 | – | 88 | Cole Whitt * | Chevrolet | 38 |
| 7 | – | 136 | Ryan Blaney | Chevrolet | 38 |
| 8 | – | 43 | Michael Annett | Ford | 36 |
| 9 | – | 7 | Danica Patrick | Chevrolet | 35 |
| 10 | – | 12 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Dodge | 34 |
| 11 | – | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | 33 |
| 12 | – | 19 | Tayler Malsam | Toyota | 32 |
| 13 | – | 44 | Mike Bliss | Toyota | 31 |
| 14 | – | 38 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 15 | – | 33 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 16 | – | 60 | Trevor Bayne | Ford | 29 |
| 17 | – | 1 | Mike Wallace | Chevrolet | 27 |
| 18 | – | 81 | Jason Bowles * | Dodge | 26 |
| 19 | – | 39 | Josh Richards | Ford | 25 |
| 20 | – | 86 | Kevin Lepage | Ford | 24 |
| 21 | – | 30 | Nelson Piquet Jr. | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 22 | – | 124 | Benny Gordon * | Chevrolet | 22 |
| 23 | – | 199 | John Wes Townley | Toyota | 0 |
| 24 | – | 23 | Robert Richardson Jr. | Chevrolet | 20 |
| 25 | – | 15 | Timmy Hill | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 26 | – | 4 | Brad Teague | Chevrolet | 18 |
| 27 | – | 14 | Eric McClure | Toyota | 17 |
| 28 | – | 41 | Fain Skinner | Ford | 16 |
| 29 | – | 70 | Johanna Long * | Chevrolet | 15 |
| 30 | – | 31 | Justin Allgaier | Chevrolet | 14 |
| 31 | – | 52 | Joey Gase * | Chevrolet | 13 |
| 32 | – | 22 | Brad Keselowski | Dodge | 0 |
| 33 | – | 51 | Jeremy Clements | Chevrolet | 11 |
| 34 | – | 11 | Brian Scott | Toyota | 10 |
| 35 | – | 40 | Erik Darnell | Chevrolet | 9 |
| 36 | – | 174 | Rick Crawford | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 37 | – | 171 | Carl Long | Chevrolet | 7 |
| 38 | – | 175 | Scott Riggs | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 39 | – | 50 | David Starr | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 40 | – | 42 | Josh Wise | Chevrolet | 0 |
| 41 | – | 108 | Tim Andrews | Ford | 3 |
| 42 | – | 10 | Jeff Green | Toyota | 2 |
| 43 | – | 46 | Chase Miller | Chevrolet | 1 |
Food City Corporate Helicopter down in Virginia following NNS race
Update: 3 a.m. – The pilot was the only person on board the Bell helicopter according to Virginia State Police Sgt. Michael Conroy. The helicopter crashed into the lake about 10:30 p.m. on Friday, just north of the Tennessee border, Conroy said. As of 2 a.m. the pilot still had not been found, and police and rescue crews plan to search until he is located.
—————————————————————————————————————————–
Not long after the checkered flag flew in the Food City 250 at Bristol, with Joey Logano in Victory Lane, the mood turned less celebratory. Shortly after eleven o’clock Eastern Time NASCAR confirmed reports that a Food City corporate helicopter had gone down in Washington County, Virginia.
Food City was the sponsor of Friday night’s Nationwide Series race in Bristol, TN, just across the state line. Rescue teams are in route to the crash site, which is 29 miles from the racetrack. The helicopter is said to be upside down in South Holston Lake. Details about the number of occupants and their identities have not been confirmed.
Washington county Sheriff Fred Newman said the search could last well into the morning.
A search of aircraft registration reveals the helicopter, tail number N407N, is a 1996 Bell407 with one engine and seven seats. Its registered owner is K-VA-T & W-L Aviation LLC, based in Abingdon, VA. The online flight path indicated that the aircraft was headed to Abingdon from Charlottesville, a 1 hour 9 minute flight.
Food City is a major supermarket in Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky. They’ve been in business since 1918 and are based in Virginia.
The story is developing, more information will be provided as it becomes available.
Kurt Busch Continues Campaign for Military Families with Special Chicagoland Raffle
[media-credit name=”Gary Buchanan” align=”alignright” width=”210″]
[/media-credit]While Kurt Busch may have had a rough time at Michigan International Speedway last weekend, the driver of the No. 51 Phoenix Racing Chevrolet knows that a bad race does not compare to some of the hardships endured by those serving our country and their families.
Because of that commitment, Kurt Busch is continuing his campaign to help the military and their family members through his partnership with the Armed Forces Foundation, this time with a new fundraising raffle.
“With the purchase of a $10 raffle ticket, you and three of your buddies could win a trip to Chicagoland Speedway for the September 15th and 16th race weekend,” Busch said. “Whether you’re a race fan or not, this weekend will be an experience that you will never forget.”
“You are going to get a weekend in a luxury coach, complete with food, beverages and entertainment – nothing is spared and this trip has you covered from the moment you arrive until you leave,” Busch continued.
“If you’re not from Chicago, it’s not a problem,” Busch said. “The AFF will provide you with Southwest Airline tickets to get to Chicago.”
“It really is a unique way to experience a race weekend.”
The raffle is being done in partnership with Star Coach Race Tours and includes infield tickets to all Chicagoland races (Cup and Nationwide), food, luxury accommodations and a meet and greet with Kurt Busch.
The best part, according to Busch is that all of the proceeds benefit the Armed Forces Foundation (AFF), a charity near and dear to his heart. AFF is a nonprofit organization offering vital assistance to active-duty and retired personnel, National Guard, Reserve and military families.
One of the families that has been helped by AFF was Dina Gittings, mother of US Army Reserve SGT Anatoly Ulentsov, who was critically injured while in service.
“As many other civilians I have learned about the US Armed Forces Foundation (AFF) in the very traumatic times of a personal tragedy,” Ms. Gittings said. “On March 31st, I arrived from New York City to Brooke Army Medical Center (BAMC) on short notice to attend to my only son who had been critically injured.”
“On my arrival, I knew no one in my son’s unit and was absolutely unaware about support organizations which could provide any help until I was directed to the AFF by one of my son’s superiors at the unit,” Gittings continued.
“During my 12-day stay by my son’s side until he had finally succumbed to his injury and AFF helped me financially by taken the burden of an expensive air fare and the funeral arrangements which otherwise would be very difficult for me to afford,” Gittings said. “AFF made the best possible efforts to help me in the times of tragedy and need and did it with much dignity and love.”
AFF also provides financial assistance to military families in need and the charity raffle will benefit this program area as well.
An example of a family that was helped through the financial assistance program was the Bayley family, who simply needed a little extra to meet their car payment at a most traumatic time in their lives.
“We have experienced what we believe was the worst year of our lives,” Mrs. Bayley said. “My 26 year old son suffered a spinal cord injury while in service, is now a quadriplegic, and will be so the rest of his life and we also had to deal with 9 year old daughter’s brain tumor.”
“We depleted our savings and had to seek financial assistance,” Bayley continued. “The break from our car payments, which were a month behind, was wonderful.”
One final AFF program that will benefit from this raffle is the ‘Troops to the Track Program.’ This special opportunity is provided for troops to attend race weekend events and to interact with NASCAR drivers, such as Busch and his fellow competitors.
Recently, SGT Stephen Wayne Jackel, Jr., US Army Combat Engineer, participated in a ‘Troops to the Track’ event.
“This was a trip to remember,” Jackel said. “I met several individuals who changed my life for the better.”
“From Kurt Busch to all of the drivers of NASCAR that gave us wounded warriors a standing ovation, they have given me the confidence to overcome the adversities I faced after being hit by an Improvised Explosive Device in Afghanistan.”
“AFF has touched so many lives through their dedication to mend our wounds,” Jackel continued. “They have a special place in my heart.”
To help AFF and its many programs for those who serve and to participate in the AFF Chicagoland raffle, visit . The raffle closes after the Bristol race this weekend.
Rain cancels Cup qualifying; Mears on the IRWIN Tools Night Race pole
Rain delayed and then cancelled NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying on Friday and Bristol Motor Speedway.
Saturday night’s lineup was set by the first practice session that was held on Friday. Casey Mears had the quickest lap of 122.209 MPH and will be the polesitter for the IRWIN Tools Night Race.
“It’s exciting. I think for our team, Germain Racing, it’s been a long couple of years. It’s been good, but the team has really grown in strides and we’ve made a lot of big improvements this year. We still have a lot to learn and still have a lot to grow, but it’s a big shot in the arm for our team for sure.” Mears said.
Brad Keselowski starts second.
“You know Bristol is always about track position but I have had cars here in the past where you could pass and get your way up to the front. I’m not going to complain either way. I’m just happy to have a fast race car and I think the Miller Lite Dodge is another fast race car coming to Bristol.” Keselowski said.
Series points leader Greg Biffle third, Joey Logano fourth and Aric Almirola starts fifth.
“Certainly I think the rainout could help us because it could put some guys further back in the field than they probably would have qualified, so that could make a little bit of a difference at the beginning of this race, but, overall, 500 laps the fast cars are gonna be at the front at the end.” Biffle said.
| Starting Lineup | |||||
| IRWIN Tools Night Race, Bristol Motor Speedway | |||||
| http://www.speedwaymedia.com/Cup/qual.php?race=24 | |||||
| =========================================== | |||||
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Make | Speed | Time |
| =========================================== | |||||
| 1 | 13 | Casey Mears | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 2 | 2 | Brad Keselowski | Dodge | N/A | N/A |
| 3 | 16 | Greg Biffle | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 4 | 20 | Joey Logano | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 5 | 43 | Aric Almirola | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 6 | 31 | Jeff Burton | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 7 | 27 | Paul Menard | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 8 | 11 | Denny Hamlin | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 9 | 9 | Marcos Ambrose | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 10 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 11 | 24 | Jeff Gordon | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 12 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 13 | 29 | Kevin Harvick | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 14 | 78 | Regan Smith | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 15 | 56 | Martin Truex Jr. | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 16 | 88 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 17 | 17 | Matt Kenseth | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 18 | 38 | David Gilliland | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 19 | 39 | Ryan Newman | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 20 | 51 | Kurt Busch | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 21 | 14 | Tony Stewart | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 22 | 55 | Brian Vickers | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 23 | 15 | Clint Bowyer | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 24 | 34 | David Ragan | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 25 | 36 | Dave Blaney | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 26 | 1 | Jamie McMurray | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 27 | 99 | Carl Edwards | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 28 | 42 | Juan Montoya | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 29 | 22 | Sam Hornish Jr. | Dodge | N/A | N/A |
| 30 | 98 | Michael McDowell | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 31 | 30 | David Stremme | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 32 | 26 | Josh Wise* | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 33 | 83 | Landon Cassill | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 34 | 119 | Mike Bliss | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 35 | 23 | Scott Riggs | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 36 | 47 | Bobby Labonte | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 37 | 33 | Stephen Leicht* | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 37 | 48 | Jimmie Johnson | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
| 39 | 249 | Jason Leffler | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 40 | 87 | Joe Nemechek | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 41 | 93 | Travis Kvapil | Toyota | N/A | N/A |
| 42 | 195 | Scott Speed | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 42 | 32 | Ken Schrader | Ford | N/A | N/A |
| 43 | 10 | Danica Patrick | Chevrolet | N/A | N/A |
