Fuel mileage gamble pays off for Bodine at Kentucky (NCWTS recap)

By Lee Montgomery
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

SPARTA, Ky. — Todd Bodine is rolling toward his second NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship, but he didn’t drive like it Friday night in winning the Built Ford Tough 225 at Kentucky Speedway. And his team didn’t act like it, either.

Bodine spun while battling Kyle Busch for the lead on Lap 81, but that trouble helped set up a fuel-mileage gamble for the No. 30 Germain Racing team.

“Our misfortune turned into our fortune because that’s what gave us a little extra fuel that we needed to get to the end,” Bodine said.

Johnny Sauter finished a distant second, with Aric Almirola third, Jason White fourth and Ricky Carmichael fifth. Timothy Peters, Busch, Ryan Sieg, polesitter Austin Dillon and Matt Crafton completed the top 10.
After a restart on Lap 80 of the 150-lap race, Busch and Bodine raced side by side for the lead in Turn 3 when Busch charged around on the outside lane. Bodine’s Toyota snapped sideways and spun in front of the field, though he didn’t hit anything.

A panel in the truck’s bed flew off, and Bodine made a couple of extra stops under that caution for his team to repair the damage. He restarted 25th.

The yellow flag waved again on Lap 91, and crew chief Mike Hillman Jr. brought Bodine to pit road again to top off the fuel tank as nine drivers stayed on the track.

Busch was one of them, and he pulled away to a 3-second lead before pitting on Lap 127. After rookies Austin Dillon and Justin Lofton also pitted under green, Bodine assumed the lead.

Conserving fuel, Bodine raced the final 55 laps under green on one tank of fuel.

“I pedaled pretty hard with about 20 laps to go,” Bodine said of saving fuel. “About the last 10 laps, I went around here about half-throttle.”

After taking the checkered flag, Bodine chastised Busch for “dirty driving,” claiming Busch intentionally pushed Bodine low on the track to cause him to spin. Busch also came to victory lane to have words with Bodine.

“It was the weather, how good the track is,” Bodine said jokingly of their conversation. “It’s two drivers who didn’t care what the other said or the other did, and we had words about it. That’s good, hard racing. I’ve always had a lot of respect for Kyle. Slowly but surely I’m, losing it. That’s a shame.”

Bodine led twice for 18 laps, far short of Busch’s race-high 73 laps. Bodine, though, extended his points lead to 261 over Almirola.

“We were two laps short (on fuel),” Hillman said. “That proves that we’re not points racing. If we were points racing, being two laps short we would’ve come in and splashed a couple gallons of gas and finished seventh or eighth.”


Built Ford Tough 225 results:

1. Todd Bodine    
2. Johnny Sauter
3. Aric Almirola    
4. Jason White    
5. Ricky Carmichael
6. Timothy Peters    
7. Kyle Busch
8. Ryan Sieg
9. Austin Dillon
10. Matt Crafton
11. Justin Lofton
12. Stacy Compton
13. Mike Skinner
14. David Starr
15. Dennis Setzer
16. Mario Gosselin
17. Brent Raymer
18. Donny Lia
19. Shelby Howard
20. Miguel Paludo
21. Will Kimmel III
22. James Buescher
23. Jennifer Jo Cobb
24. Clay Greenfield
25. Steve Park
26. Carl Long
27. John Jackson    
28. Jeffrey Earnhardt
29. Ron Hornaday
30. Chris Lafferty
31. Norm Benning
32. Paddy Rodenbeck
33. Chris Jones
34. Mike Garvey
35. Butch Miller
36. Tim Andrews

Read More

Kentucky Speedway to host Trucks, Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series in July 2011

Austin Dillon, driver of the No. 3 Bass Pro Shops Tracker Boats Chevrolet, leads the
field at the start of the Camping World Truck Series Built Ford Tough 225 on Friday
at Kentucky Speedway. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Truck race set for Thursday night, the first time the series has raced on a Thursday since 2005

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Sept. 3, 2010) – National Association Of Stock Car Racing announced the addition of a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event to the July 2011 NASCAR national-series race weekend at Kentucky Speedway.

The Thursday, July 7, event will mark the 10th race on the NASCAR Camping World Series schedule and completes the 2011 schedule. It will be the first time the series has raced on a Thursday evening since 2005.
        
A NASCAR Nationwide Series event follows on Friday, July 8, with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series following on Saturday, July 9. The tripleheader marks the first time all three NASCAR national series have run on the same weekend at Kentucky; it will be the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ first event there.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series has raced at the 1.5-mile, tri-oval since 2000.
       
“The Midwest fan base has supported the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway for over 10 years,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR senior vice president, racing operations. “This will be a great addition to the inaugural Sprint Cup Series race weekend, adding to what will already be a tremendous three nights of racing for the fans.”

Out of the 10 previous NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races held at the speedway, seven were won by past, reigning or future champions. Five won the series championship in the same season. Ron Hornaday Jr. is the only two-time Kentucky winner.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will return to Kentucky on Oct. 1. It will be the first time the series has raced twice in the Bluegrass State in the same season.          

The 2011 season is the 17th for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. It begins Feb. 18 with the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Read More

Save the Date: Saturday July 9, 2011: Sprint Cup Series Racing at Kentucky Speedway!

SPARTA, KY. - Speedway Motorsports, Inc. (SMI) Chairman and CEO Bruton Smith announced today that Kentucky Speedway will play host to its inaugural 400-mile NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday, July 9, 2011.

“The passionate NASCAR fans throughout Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati have deserved a Sprint Cup Race for a long time. Before this, racing in Kentucky was about horses, but now it’s all about more horsepower. We’re going to create the grandest sports event in the history of the state in 2011, and any fan that comes here will know what it means to be ‘Lucky in Kentucky,’” Smith said.

The Sparta, Ky., venue will become the 23rd motorsports facility on the 36-race Sprint Cup Series schedule and the first facility to be added to the national tour since Chicagoland Speedway made its debut July 15, 2001 and Kansas Speedway staged its first series race on Sept. 29, 2001.

Kentucky Speedway will be the eighth SMI facility to welcome the premier American stock car racing series which features former Kentucky Speedway NASCAR Nationwide Series 300-mile race winners Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch along with four-time series champions Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon.

“I am thrilled that all the hard work of my administration to bring a NASCAR Sprint Cup race to Kentucky has finally paid off,” Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear said. “The legislation we proposed, pushed and I signed amending our Tourism Development Act to attract legacy expansion projects to Kentucky was critical in bringing this race to Kentucky. In addition to the excitement this race will bring to race fans, it will have an unparalleled economic impact on the region.”

Kentucky Speedway played host to its first major NASCAR-sanctioned event on its 1.5-mile tri-oval track on June 17, 2000 and witnessed current Sprint Cup Series mainstay Greg Biffle score a 225-mile NASCAR Camping World Truck Series victory. The track first welcomed the Nationwide Series on June 16, 2001 and saw current Sprint Cup Series championship leader Harvick race to Victory Lane.

Overall, Kentucky Speedway has played host to a combined 20 Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide Series events as well as a variety of NASCAR developmental touring stock car series through its 11-year history.

“The arrival of Sprint Cup racing in Kentucky is a testament to the consistently solid support our corporate partners and avid fan base in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, Lexington, Ky., and Louisville, Ky., has provided our events since 2000. Our facility was constructed with the goal of attracting Sprint Cup racing to the Commonwealth and we thank all whose efforts made that goal a reality. We’re looking forward creating a supercharged atmosphere for our first Sprint Cup Series weekend,” Kentucky Speedway General Manager Mark Simendinger said.

Tickets for the 2011 Kentucky Speedway season highlighted by the inaugural NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be offered on a priority basis to current holders of season ticket plans, Kentucky Club, Bluegrass Club, season Private, Reserved and Infield camp sites. The general public may immediately secure priority notice for the acquisition of 2011 season ticket plans / season camp sites by placing a non-refundable, $50 deposit per season ticket plan / season camp site with Kentucky Speedway. Phone 859-578-2300, choose option “2,” or visit the “Tickets” page of http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com for information and to review the full 2011 ticket policy. Season ticket plans for 2010 also remain available.

The Kentucky NASCAR Sprint Cup Series announcement comes three weeks prior to the final weekend of 2010 Kentucky Speedway season which will “Celebrate Speed” by placing the spotlight on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series “Built Ford Tough 225 presented by the Greater Cincinnati Ford Dealers” Sept. 3 along with the IZOD IndyCar Series “Kentucky Indy 300,” Firestone Indy Lights “Drive Smart. Buckle-Up Kentucky 100” and country music supergroup Diamond Rio in concert Sept. 4.

Single-race tickets for the track’s inaugural Labor Day event weekend can be reserved through the tickets pages of www.kentuckyspeedway.com, by phone at 888-652-7223 (RACE) or by visiting the Kentucky Speedway ticket offices at 400 Buttermilk Pike, Suite 100, in Ft. Mitchell, Ky., next to the Montgomery Inn Restaurant or the Fan Center located off of Interstate 71, Exit 57 and Ky. Hwy. 35 N in Sparta, Ky. Tickets additionally are available through tickets.com outlets.

Read More

Atlanta loses one of two Cup dates to Kentucky for 2011

Atlanta Motor Speedway will give up one of its two Sprint Cup dates for the 2011 season, track officials announced Thursday. The move opens the door for Kentucky Speedway to claim a Cup race.

Atlanta will keep its Labor Day race weekend on Sept. 2-4 but will lose its March race weekend.

According to an Associated Press report, the track's owner Speedway Motorsports Inc. will give a Cup race to Kentucky Speedway in July. Kentucky Speedway has scheduled a press conference for Tuesday, when the announcement is expected to be made. On Thursday, the speedway's website said, "Big news coming in 5 days!" with the Sprint Cup Series logo in the background.

Atlanta has hosted two Cup dates since 1960. The track hosted its inaugural Labor Day race weekend last year when the events were moved up from the traditional October date.

"Atlanta Motor speedway has provided top-quality racing entertainment to spectators from across the nation and around the world for 50 years," said speedway President Ed Clark. "While our schedule will change, our commitment to the racing fans who have been the heart and soul of Atlanta Motor Speedway through these years will be stronger than ever. Our entire staff will be even more driven to produce the top annual sporting event in Georgia for many years to come."

The Labor Day weekend Cup event drew one of the biggest crowds in years at Atlanta. The spring date has suffered from declining ticket sales.

"We were thrilled with the acquisition of the Labor Day date two years ago and are proud to host such a prestigious, historical date on the NASCAR schedule," Clark said. "This track produces some of the greatest racing the circuit sees, it remains one of the drivers' favorite tracks and we will continue to build a platform that sets this one date apart from the rest."

What do you think about Atlanta losing a Cup date? Are you upset to see it go? Or excited about Kentucky getting a Cup race? Let us know in the comments below.

__________
Photo: Kyle Busch stands on his racecar after winning the March 2008 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images for NASCAR)

Read More

Busch vs. Busch: Michigan

Kyle Busch

Trucks: Kyle Busch took back the wheel of his truck this weekend at Michigan. He was sixth in practice and started eighth. After leading five times for a total 25 laps, he finished third to Aric Almirola. This is Busch's fifth top 10 in fives races at Michigan International Speedway and he leaves MIS 13th in points, two spots up from last week.

Nationwide: This weekend the Nationwide series was in Kentucky. Brad Coleman drove Busch's No. 18, qualifying second, finishing 13th and leading one time for two laps.

Cup: Busch's Cup weekend can be summed up in one word: frustrating. Finishing fourth, 10th and 32nd in practices, he had to start in the rear of the pack after qualifying 15th for an engine change. After making his way up to fourth by lap 140, he wound up on pit road with damage to the spoiler and finished the race in 20th. Busch still remains second in points, 22 points behind leader Kevin Harvick.



Kurt Busch

Kurt Busch is having a great season ...

The remainder of this article can be read at examiner.com.

Article originally published at LV NASCAR Examiner and republished with permission of author.

Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR

Read More

Logano continues Kentucky dominance (NNS)

By Lee Montgomery
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(June 12, 2010)

SPARTA, Ky.—Joey Logano remained perfect in the NASCAR Nationwide Series at Kentucky Speedway, winning the Meijer 300 from the pole on Saturday night.

Logano had lost the lead on two restarts late in the race but was able to power back to the top spot each time.

The first was with 44 laps to go when Mike Bliss took the lead, but after an extended caution period, Logano got back out front on Lap 169 of 200.

The second came when Brendan Gaughan charged around the outside after a restart on Lap 175, but Gaughan slipped off Turn 4 a lap later, and Logano again regained the lead.

Logano then held off a late charge from Carl Edwards to win for the third time at Kentucky.

Logano, 20, has won the pole and the race every time he has raced at the 1.5-mile track. The victory in 2008 was his first in one of NASCAR’s national series.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series double-duty drivers swept the top three positions, as Edwards finished second and NASCAR Nationwide Series points leader Brad Keselowski was third. Edwards moved up one spot in the standings to second, and is 272 points behind Keselowski.

Gaughan finished fourth, with Reed Sorenson fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Steve Wallace, Scott Wimmer, Justin Allgaier, Scott Riggs and Raybestos Rookie Colin Braun.

Meijer 300 race results:

1. Joey Logano   
2. Carl Edwards   
3. Brad Keselowski   
4. Brendan Gaughan   
5. Reed Sorenson   
6. Steve Wallace   
7. Scott Wimmer   
8. Justin Allgaier   
9. Scott Riggs
10. Colin Braun *   
11. Trevor Bayne   
12. Jeremy Clements   
13. Brad Coleman   
14. Brian Ickler   
15. Josh Wise   
16. Scott Lagasse Jr.
17. Shelby Howard   
18. Coleman Pressley   
19. Tony Raines   
20. Jeff Green   
21. Mike Wallace   
22. Kenny Wallace   
23. Jason Keller   
24. Mike Bliss   
25. Joe Nemechek   
26. Derrike Cope   
27. Sean Caisse   
28. Michael McDowell   
29. Eric McClure   
30. Robert Richardson Jr.   
31. Brian Scott *   
32. Paul Menard   
33. Jason Leffler   
34. Michael Annett   
35. Tayler Malsam   
36. Willie Allen   
37. Morgan Shepherd   
38. Kevin Lepage
39. Chase Miller   
40. Mark Green   
41. Danny O'Quinn Jr.   
42. Matt Carter   
43. Dennis Setzer

*Rookie

PHOTO: Grant Halverson / Getty Images

Read More