Frank Kimmel Looks For First Trip Success at Mobile Int’l Speedway
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[/media-credit]For the first time in the 60 year history of the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the series will be running on the half-mile oval located in Mobile, Alabama.
One of the tracks that Mobile International Speedway has been compared to is Toledo Speedway, as both have a low degree of banking.
Series veteran Frank Kimmel is hoping the comparison is true in hopes of scoring career win no. 75. Kimmel currently sits second on the all-time ARCA Series win list with 74 victories behind Iggy Katona. Kimmel scored the first victory of his career at Toledo Speedway, Mobile’s sister track, and says he feels real comfortable at Toledo.
“It makes me feel more confident that I can get up on the wheel from the get go,” Kimmel says. “I mean, face it, at the end of the day, a short track is a short track – if you can’t get up on the wheel, it’s going to be a rough day for your team.
Kimmel has also been doing his homework as he enlisted help from short track legend Bubba Pollard.
“Bubba is a legend down here on the Panhandle of Florida and Alabama,” Kimmel explains. “His results speak for themselves in late models and super late models at both Mobile and Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, so I knew who to call when it was time to pick someone’s brain on track facts and logistics. He gave me a lot of great pointers going into this weekend. I’m also looking forward to chatting with our own Grant Enfinger – since this is his home track, he knows the ins and outs too. It’s a little different, I usually have guys coming to me to find out about tracks as the veteran!”
Practice is set to happen on Friday March 9th from 1:30-5pm CT with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell that night at 7pm CT. The race will take place on Saturday March 10th with pre-race coverage beginning at 1:30 CT. Speed will not share this race live, but ARCARacing.com will have live timing and scoring.
Andy Hillenburg: The Man behind Bringing NASCAR Back to Rockingham Speedway
Wednesday afternoon I headed out to Rockingham Speedway to meet with track President, Andy Hillenburg. I wanted to find out a little more about the man who made it his mission to bring NASCAR racing back to Rockingham Speedway.
I arrived for my appointment a little early and sat in my car for a few minutes before going inside. As I sat waiting, I noticed someone out front trimming the hedges while another man stood nearby checking periodically to make sure everything looked just right. I suddenly realized that the other man was Andy Hillenburg. This was my first clue about the type of man I was about to interview.
He calls himself a ‘blue collar man’ and he is willing to do whatever it takes to make one of his dreams come true. If something needs to be painted, you’ll likely find him with a paint brush in hand. He’s quick to point out that the track doesn’t have a huge budget so he often has to get creative in order to get things accomplished.
One of his latest endeavors is a car he calls the “Rockmobile.” It’s a 1975 Dodge Coronet with a paint scheme designed to resemble a police car. On one side it reads, “To Serve and Promote,” and the phone number for ticket sales is prominently displayed. It’s a rolling advertisement that Hillenburg often drives around town.
Another thing that stood out as we talked is his passion for racing. It’s a passion he has carried with him his entire life.
Hillenburg was born and raised in Indianapolis, Ind. He worked in the family construction business but every spare moment was spent going to races.
“I’ve wanted to race for as long as I can remember,” he told me. “I never really wanted to do anything else.”
He built his first race car when he was 16 years old and began racing sprint cars. Over the next 10 years, he raced in open wheel cars whenever he had a chance. He competed in the USAC (United States Auto Club) series, the World of Outlaws series and anything else that was available. It didn’t really matter to him, as long as he was racing.
His goal was to one day race in the Indy 500.
He came close a couple of times. The first time he was actually entered to run but the team abruptly folded just prior to the race. The following year he thought he had a deal put together but a couple of weeks before the race, he realized it wasn’t going to happen.
He was becoming increasingly frustrated when a good friend suggested that he move to North Carolina and try his hand at stock car racing.
“I hadn’t really given it much thought,” he said. “In Indianapolis, there’s so much racing. It’s everywhere you go. You just drive two miles down the road and there’s another race shop. I didn’t think any place could match that. I was perfectly content to stay in Indianapolis.”
But then his friend took him to a Busch (now Nationwide Series) race in Hickory, N.C. in the spring of 1990.
Hillenburg was so impressed that he made a drastic decision. With only a duffle bag full of clothes, his helmet, and a hundred dollars he borrowed from another friend, he got in his truck and drove to Charlotte, N.C. Hillenburg spent the first four nights sleeping in that truck across from Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Then he ran into Kenny Schrader. He’d raced against Schrader so they knew each other slightly, but they weren’t what you’d call good friends. They stood around talking for a while and Schrader asked Hillenburg what he was doing in town.
“I moved here,” Hillenburg told him.
Schrader said, “That’s great. Do you have a deal?” “No,” Hillenburg replied.
Schrader then asked, “Where are you living?” “Right there in my truck,” Hillenburg responded.
At this point, Schrader began laughing. But he ended up taking Hillenburg out to his shop and gave him a place to stay for about 6 months.
During the day, Hillenburg visited all the race shops, looking for any kind of job just to get his foot in the door. In the evenings, he helped out at the shop by mowing the grass, taking out the trash, washing cars and anything else that needed doing.
He finally got a job at Fast Track High Performance Driving School. It wasn’t long before he was running the entire shop. The owner of the shop even fielded a couple of cars for Hillenburg to run two Cup races. It wasn’t much but it was enough to keep the dream alive.
About this time Hillenburg had the opportunity to buy the school. It was a decision that would require him to put his driving career on hold for 3 years. He found that he loved the driving school business and worked hard to make it a success.
But he hadn’t given up on his racing career.
He finally had a chance to run a full season in 1995 in the ARCA series. He made the most of it by winning the championship.
As he reflected on his life, he paused and said, “I’m a person that has a lot of dreams and I’ve been fortunate to accomplish several of them.”
Then he leaned in, as if to tell me a secret. “But not all of them; because I have lots.”
In the 1990s, most of Hillenburg’s time on the track was spent as a test driver. He test drove for over 20 Cup teams, Ford Motor Company and Dodge Engineering. He was also an IROC test driver for about 10 years.
He never really had the opportunity to race full time but he has no regrets and feels like he accomplished what he set out to do.
One of the highlights of his racing career came at Daytona Speedway in 1998. He had to qualify on time to enter the race and he remembers it as “the best race I ever drove in my life.”
Then, in 2000, at 37 years of age, he went to Indianapolis and competed in the Indy 500, accomplishing yet another lifelong dream.
Hillenburg has also tried his hand as a team owner, most recently in the Camping World Truck series and the ARCA series.
Did I mention that he has a lot of dreams?
In his spare time, he also works as a stuntman and acts in commercials and movies.
In the back of his mind, he knew that there was one piece missing to complete his business circle; owning a racetrack.
It would give his driving school a home base and would come in handy for the stunt work and acting gigs that he likes to do as well.
He had looked at a few tracks but nothing seemed like a good fit until Rockingham Speedway came up for auction in 2007.
One of his goals from the very beginning was to bring NASCAR racing back to the track but he’s a little surprised at how quickly it happened.
He’s also extremely proud of what he’s been able to accomplish and excited for the future. But he doesn’t take all the credit. It’s been a team effort from everyone at the track and the support of the community has been invaluable.
But there’s no doubt in my mind that without Andy Hillenburg, it would not have happened.
It is his blue collar work ethic, his willingness to take risks and his vision that have made it all possible.
Rockingham Speedway seats approximately 30,000 and ticket sales are progressing well. But Hillenburg says they aren’t going to stop until one of two things happens.
“We’re either sold out or we give the command to start your engines.”
My last question for him was this. Why should fans come to Rockingham?
“I feel like we’re unique. I want to be the facility that’s an old comfortable pair of shoes; a nice evening on the porch. We’re that race track. All those old memories that you can relive as well as build new ones, that’s what I’m after.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series returns to “The Rock” on April 15th. For more information and to purchase tickets please visit online at rockinghamspeedway.com.
Kvapil’s future is still in doubt
Getting a job in the Sprint Cup Series is tough as it is. The economy doesn’t help either.
Travis Kvapil is a former Camping World Truck Series champion. One would believe teams would be throwing themselves at him after his departure from Penske Racing several years back at the completion of the 2005 season.
For the past few seasons, Kvapil drove for the underfunded Front Row Motorsports team. FRM is owned by Bob Jenkins, who owns a series of restaurants such as Taco Bell, Long John Silver, and other multi-million dollar businesses.
At the end of 2011, rumors swirled around the garage about David Ragan signing with FRM once he was released from his former team Roush Racing. Eventually, Ragan signed with FRM. The team also resigned David Gilliland and Josh Wise in the team’s second and third cars, leaving Kvapil without a job heading into 2012.
“That was tough, last year we didn’t have the results we hoped and by the end of the season we put some good runs together. But speaking for them, they were looking at different sponsorship opportunities and eventually landed with David Ragan and they had more sponsorship for things like that and it was a decision they made and they had to look at all opportunities and they’re definitely looking better,” said Kvapil on what made him leave FRM.
Lucky for Kvapil, a new team was forming out of the defunct Red Bull Racing shop.
Kvapil reached out to one of the new owners, sparking talks across the board as both sides were interested in working with one another.
“It all happened pretty quick, but it was a bit of a process for them,” said Kvapil. “It took longer than they expected to get everything together and we didn’t get everything going and the green light until February first, but we have great equipment and some really good people with guys that work really hard.”
It was announced that Kvapil will drive the car after the Daytona 500 where David Reutimann drove the No. 93 Toyota Camry to a 26th place finish in the team’s debut. But, it remains unclear if he will step behind the wheel for every race, or he will be replaced by Reutimann in the select races where he does not drive for Tommy Baldwin Racing.
“It’s not a done deal from what I’ve been told. They’ve talked to me about David Reutimann running for the team, but I think that’s still to be determined as time gets closer to those races. Hopefully, I can go out there and run competitively and have a chance of staying in the car,” said Kvapil.
But, if Kvapil is replaced by Reutimann, it could mean the partnership may last only one year, if that.
“They’ve been straight up with me from day one. They might do something with David in those races, they might not, they didn’t promise me anything that they can’t do. I knew the deal going into it so either its 26 races or the rest of the races,” Kvapil said. I’m thankful for the opportunity. They didn’t promise me more than 26 races, but there’s a possibility of running 35.”
The last time Kvapil qualified for all 36 races was back in 2008, the year he drove for Yates Racing, finishing 23rd in the standings. After the first six races in 2009, Kvapil was released from Yates as the team eventually shut down, due to sponsorship woes.
This time around, Kvapil’s situation is different, much different.
With a possibility of being replaced in several races, Kvapil has to focus on himself more than ever.
“I think it’s harder for the team to work with multiple drivers as the relationship between the driver and the team takes some time to build and you’re changing drivers then you kind of mess up the chemistry,” said Kvapil on whether or not it’s a good idea for BK Racing to split the No. 93 Burger King Toyota throughout the 2012 season.
Expectations for the new team are rather high, well at least according to Kvapil. He believes the team is capable on finishing in the top 25 on a weekly basis and eventually, making it to the top 20.
Fortunately enough, Kvapil took a car which qualified 41st and turned a bad run into an exceptional one as he drove up to 19th place by the time the checkered flag flew this past Sunday at the Phoenix International Raceway. The team proved they’re at the track to run competitive and not just ‘start and park’ like many expected.
Kvapil will head into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend with a renewed outlook on what it takes to run upfront. He and teammate Landon Cassill are ‘dark horses,’ but the two have much to prove.
For the entire BK Racing organization, the plan is to run the entire season with Cassill in the No. 83 with Kvapil and possibly Reutimann in the No. 93 with cars from the former Red Bull Racing team. How will they fare remains to be seen. They are off to a strong start, continuing this will easily look themselves in the top 35 in owner points by Bristol.
As a pure racer, Kvapil is determined to revamp his career once again. He is off to a strong start in 2012. His season may progress in a positive or negative way. But, it’s the chance he needed to prove he didn’t forget how to drive considering he outran both FRM drivers, Ragan and Gilliland on Sunday at Phoenix.
RCR Brings Force to Reckon With in Nationwide Series
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[/media-credit]The headlines were going crazy last season when Kevin Harvick Incorporated (KHI) announced that it was closing its doors at the conclusion of 2011. The result of that closure saw KHI’s Nationwide Series program be put under Richard Childress Racing.
The merger was met with some questions, however, they have been quickly answered this far into the season. After the second race of the season, Elliott Sadler leads the point standings, 10 points over rookie teammate Austin Dillon. Sadler won the last race at Phoenix International Speedway while Dillon and Kevin Harvick finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
The win marked a special win for Sadler as he hadn’t been to victory lane in one of NASCAR’s top three divisions since 2010 in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The win also marked a bit of revenge for last year as despite finishing second in points, the season was considered disappointing due to no victories.
One of the first moves that was made when Sadler made the shift from KHI to RCR was a change in his crew chief. Richard Childress partnered Sadler with Luke Lambert, who was the crew chief for Clint Bowyer last year in the Sprint Cup Series. Childress felt the partnership was perfect based on what he saw Sadler needed in a crew chief and how Lambert could benefit from a couple seasons spent in Nationwide.
Sadler now hopes to carry the momentum from the win into Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
“Momentum is huge in this sport,” he said. “Our team is so strong and so focused that I know the win last week at Phoenix will just add to our drive. We have one goal, and that is to win the championship, and I think this week we will continue to go along with our game plan. It was such a great feeling to be in Victory Lane, and I am so proud of our team and excited to home a win for OneMain Financial and Richard Childress Richard Childress.”
The win marked some reassurance for Sadler as he was at first concerned when Harvick told him of the switch.
“When Kevin first came to me and said, ‘Look, I’m going to sell my team to Richard. We’re going to run the team out of his shop’. I said, ‘Where is that going to leave me?’,” Sadler explained. “He said, ‘Elliott, the last time I ran for RCR, we won 13 races. You’re going to be okay.’
“When you’re affiliated with the Cup teams and the simulation programs that they have and when you’re on the same campus, you feed off of it. We race against the Cup affiliated teams all the time – Roush and Gibbs – so it just puts us on an even playing field.”
In the past couple of years, the Nationwide Series has been dominated by Roush Racing, Penske Racing and Joe Gibbs Racing – all three teams having a cup affiliation.
“I think Kevin and Delana did a great job with the Nationwide,” Childress commented after Phoenix. “But running against what Jack, Gibbs, Penske have, they weren’t quite there and that was the difference. I think Kevin once he saw that, wanted to come back. I think the difference is having a cup affiliation. I had the Cup crew chiefs scanning the three radios telling me what was going on. Now that we’re back in Nationwide, I think it helps back to the Cup due to the cars being so similar except for the motor.”
The success now puts pressure on the team to keep it going, as stated by Brendan Gaughan, who will run his first Nationwide race of the season.
“I’m really excited to race for such a great organization,” he said in the team preview. “The only downside, if there is one, is that now it’s my turn to keep the hot streak going that RCR has started off the season with.”
As the season continues, there’s no question there will be a continued battle between Joe Gibbs Racing, Jack Roush, Roger Penske and Richard Childress for the championships. It’ll all be about who can put the best package together, and right now, Childress looks to have the upper hand. It’s also known that this isn’t his first rodeo as he has won five championships in the Nationwide Series.
NOTES FROM THE NASCAR NATION: WHO’S GOING TO CASH IN AT LAS VEGAS?
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[/media-credit]All eyes with be on the bright lights of Las Vegas when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series makes its annual visit, to the city that never sleeps, for Sunday’s running of the Kobalt Tools 400. NASCAR racing at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway offers features a blend of hard racing to the checkers combined with the element of fuel mileage and who saved enough of the finish.
It’s also about a massive amount of fun for the fans. From the special events waiting for them at the speedway to the shows and the casinos, let’s face it: Las Vegas and NASCAR simply belongs in the same sentence. Don’t be too surprised if you look over and see one of your favorite Sprint Cup drivers sitting at a slot machine next to you.
THE STORY BREAKDOWN
One of the major stories you will hear about this weekend is “penalty watch.” We’re all still waiting to see how the appeal process will turn out for Jimmie Johnson’s #48 team. It’s been well documented that Daytona was a disaster for this five time championship team. Between the lap two crash and the harsh penalties from failing a tech inspection, this team began the 2012 season standing in a very large hole.
But these distractions clearly has not impacted Jimmie Johnson’s ability to focus on the task at hand. He proved that with a strong run at Phoenix last week that elevated the team from 44th to 37th in the points standings. Had it not been for a pit road situation, involving a loose wheel, he likely would have won the Phoenix event. He’s heavily favored to win the Las Vegas race and still favored to win the championship despite the Daytona disaster.
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If a strong sense of human emotion still means anything in NASCAR racing, then Jeff Gordon has 20 great reasons to win at Las Vegas this Sunday. It’s the 20th anniversary of the marketing team of Gordon and Dupont Automotive Finishes. Gordon’s #24 Chevrolet will be adorned by a special paint scheme this weekend, created by NASCAR artist Sam Bass, to commemorate the occasion.
It was believed by many that Dupont took a Las Vegas sized gamble when they signed with Gordon back in 1992. That was 85 Sprint Cup wins and four NASCAR championships ago. Apparently the gamble paid off in a very big way.
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2012 also marks the 25th anniversary of team owner Jack Roush in NASCAR racing and, after winning at Daytona with Matt Kenseth, this special occasion is off to a special start. It could get better because Roush Fenway Racing has some phenomenal numbers at Las Vegas. In 14 Sprint Cup events, held there, RFR drivers have won seven of them.
Roush driver Carl Edwards is the defending race champion. It’s also the last time this driver has found victory lane. Edwards is heavily favored to end that year long win less streak this Sunday.
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If fuel mileage becomes an issue at Las Vegas, and it wouldn’t be the first time if it did, then expect to see a variation from the traditional approach to saving fuel due to the presence of the new electronic fuel injection, (EFI), engines. After what Tony Stewart went through last weekend at Phoenix, it’s a safe bet that no one is going to try the traditional turn the engine off and on maneuver. It seems that the EFI electronic system just can’t handle that.
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THE LAS VEGAS BREAKDOWN
So, who’s going to cash in at Las Vegas and who’s going to tap out? For the answer to that question we turn to the professional Las Vegas number crunchers from the World Sports Exchange, (WSE).
Topping the WSE list is the aforementioned Jimmie Johnson at 6 to 1 odds. Let’s face it, this driver has Las Vegas numbers to beat. That includes a series high four wins along with four top five finishes and five top tens along with a very healthy average finish ratio, (AFR) of 10.6. By the way, Johnson also tops the WSE list as their favorite to win his sixth Sprint Cup championship.
He needs to improve his points situation, 37th, following the season opener at Daytona. The other motivation here for Johnson is the fact that his long time primary sponsor, Kobalt Tools, is also the race sponsor. That tends to make a driver dig a little harder for the win. He also wants to be the one to give team owner Rick Hendrick his 200th Sprint Cup win.
Joining Johnson at 6 to 1 odds is the Las Vegas hometown hero Kyle Busch. The youngest Busch brother, ranked ninth in the points standings, also brings some impressive Las Vegas numbers to the table that includes two wins, two top fives and three top tens in eight starts. He also has a decent AFR of 15.0 at his home track.
At 7 to 1 is Carl Edwards who is absolutely a pre race favorite as well as the defending race winner. Ranked seventh in the current points, Edwards has some great numbers at Las Vegas including two wins, two top fives, three top tens and a healthy AFR of 11.0. Also remember that Edwards drives a Roush Fenway Ford and that team seems to excel at Las Vegas.
The WSE has Tony Stewart listed at 8 to 1 who’s 15th in the points due to the aforementioned fuel mileage move at Phoenix last weekend. “Smoke” is still seeking his first win at Las Vegas but does have five top fives and eight top tens. He also has a 13.8 AFR. His Steve Addington led team is expected to be strong again this weekend and, at 8 to 1, Stewart is another rock solid wager consideration.
Next on the WSE’s list is the dynamic duo of Jeff Gordon and Kevin Harvick at 10 to 1 odds. Again, Gordon would love to get his second win at Las Vegas in honor of Dupont’s 20th anniversary with his team. Like his team mate, Johnson, he also wants to be the one to give the boss that important 200th win. It’s no secret that Rick Hendrick has been transporting a large bag of racing caps, commemorating win number 200, for quite some time and Gordon would love to pass those hats out while his car is parked in victory lane. Gordon is currently ranked 22nd in the standings, due to a blown engine at Daytona, and he’ll want to improve that situation. He has six top fives at Las Vegas and a 14.9 AFR. He also has a series leading driver rating of 112.1 there.
Kevin Harvick is off to a solid start in the still young 2012 season and is ranked third in the points. He’s still seeking his first win at Las Vegas, but he does have three top fives, four top tens and a 13.2 AFR. Here’s yet another driver and team that’s wager worthy.
At 12 to 1 odds you will find the highly interesting duo of Kasey Kahne and Matt Kenseth. As the newest member of Hendrick Motorsports, Kasey Kahne’s bad luck, in the first two events of the season, has him at a disappointing 32nd in the points. However, when you combine this driver with long time crew chief Kenny Francis along with the resources from Rick Hendrick, there’s no reason why they shouldn’t turn into a super team. Kahne is also looking for his first visit to the Las Vegas victory lane. He has two previous top five finishes and a 14.9 AFR. If you’re into long shot wagers, then Kasey Kahne is worthy of your consideration. The law of averages says the bad luck mini streak has to turn around somewhere and it might be at Las Vegas.
The fact that Matt Kenseth is rated at 12 to 1 seems rather surprising because of the past numbers he’s compiled at Las Vegas. He’s a two time winner there with five top fives, six top tens and a very healthy 11.7 AFR. He’s currently fourth in the points and is still carrying the momentum from winning his second Daytona 500 last month. He’s also driving one of those powerful Roush Fenway Racing Fords who has won seven of the 14 Cup races at Las Vegas. This is an outstanding long shot wager consideration because, at 12 to 1 odds, Kenseth is highly capable of becoming a Las Vegas bookie’s worst nightmare.
Looking now at the WSE’s middle tier, Greg Biffle leads a trio of drivers at 20 to 1. Biffle is off to a great start this year and is currently ranked second in the points. He also another member of that powerful Roush Fenway Racing organization.
Also in the 20 to 1 group is fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr who is also seeking his first win at Las Vegas. Then again, Earnhardt simply wants to rid himself of that troublesome win less streak that dates back to 2008. He also would like to be the driver that gives Rick Hendrick that 200th win.
Also in this 20 to 1 group is Brad Keselowski. He’s only had three starts at Las Vegas and is still seeking his first top ten finish there. He’s ranked this high because he’s “Bad Brad” and, on any given weekend, he’s more than capable of surprising us all.
Turning now to the WSE’s lower tier, the trio of Martin Truex Jr, Ryan Newman and A J Allmendinger are rated at 30 to 1. At 35 to 1 you will find another trio led by Clint Bowyer along with Las Vegas home town hero Kurt Busch and previous Las Vegas winner Mark Martin.
The WSE Las Vegas rankings closes with a 40 to 1 trio led by two time Las Vegas winner Jeff Burton along with Juan Pablo Montoya and Joey Logano.
If you do not see your favorite driver’s name on this week’s WSE rankings then they are automatically ranked at 8 to 1 odds. Surprisingly, this includes the name of Denny Hamlin who won last weekend’s race at Phoenix, currently leads the Sprint Cup points standings and has a healthy 11.7 AFR at Las Vegas. Also, let’s consider that the team of Hamlin and new crew chief Darian Grubb is off to a very strong start this year. That alone makes Hamlin a strong wager consideration.
Now for the disclaimer: NASCAR wants us to remind you that these odds rankings should be viewed for informational and entertainment purposes only. They neither encourage, nor condone, the placing of wagers on their races.
Not meaning to be overly sarcastic here, but that’s a very tough point to sell when the race is being held at Las Vegas.
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THE RACE BREAKDOWN
The Kobalt Tools 400 will be 267 laps/400.5 miles around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway’s 1.5 mile oval.
The race has 45 entries vying for the 43 starting berths. Ten of those entries are on the go or go home list. These teams are not guaranteed a starting berth because they are currently outside of NASCAR’s top 35 in owner’s points. These ten teams will have to depend solely on qualifying speeds to make Sunday’s race.
The Las Vegas Motor Speedway was officially opened in 1996. The first NASCAR sanctioned race, a K&N Pro Series West event, was held in November of that year and was won by Ken Schrader. The first Las Vegas Sprint Cup event was held in 1998 and was won by Mark Martin. Since that time there has been 14 Sprint Cup races held at Las Vegas that has sent eight different winners to victory lane. Jimmie Johnson tops the win list with four. Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth each have two wins at the speedway. Roush Fenway Racing tops the team win chart and has won seven of the 14 Cup races at Las Vegas including the first three races in a row.
Track position is always going to be a valuable commodity in any NASCAR Sprint Cup race and that also applies to racing at Las Vegas. Matt Kenseth holds the track qualifying record, 188.884 MPH, set in March of last year. Kyle Busch was the first driver to score a Las Vegas win from the pole position back in 2009. Six of the 14 Las Vegas Cup races have been won from starting positions within the top ten while four have been won from starting berths outside of the top twenty.
The speedway was reconfigured, to include progressive banking, in 2006. The four corners are now banked at 20 degrees. The front stretch, measuring 2,275 feet long, and the backstretch, 1,572 feet, each have nine degrees of banking. The speedway presently has grandstand seating to accommodate 142,000 plus fans.
Weather is not expected to be any concern regarding Sunday’s race. The Las Vegas weekend forecast calls for sunny skies with daytime highs between 72 and 75 degrees.
A NASCAR weekend in Las Vegas is famous for a high number of driver meet and greet with the fans. Dial up www.lvms.com for all of the details.
The Kobalt Tools 400 will be broadcast live by Fox Sports beginning with the pre race show at 230 pm eastern time. The race re-broadcast will be on Wednesday, March 14th, on SPEED beginning at 1230 pm et. PRN, Performance Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio Channel 90 will carry the live radio broadcast of the race.
Make sure you reset your clocks, one hour forward, this weekend. Whether you’re going to be attending the race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, or watching on television, you will not want to miss a single lap of the Kobalt Tools 400.
