Crown Royal to honor military service with race name

Nominations for 'Your Name Here' 400 contest for April Richmond race will be accepted through Nov. 30

Crown Royal takes pride in showcasing our country’s finest heroes, and once again, the tradition will live on. The makers of Crown Royal Canadian whisky, a subsidiary of Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO), will award naming rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway on April 30, 2011 to a serviceman or servicewoman.

This marks the second time throughout the five-year history of the Crown Royal “Your Name Here” 400 contest that only individuals serving our country can be nominated. Nominations will be accepted until Nov. 30 and can be submitted to www.nascar.com/crownroyal.

"Crown Royal truly takes pride in ensuring that our race entitlement shines light on all the everyday heroes who serve our country,” said Heather Boyd, senior brand manager of Crown Royal. “We believe that the experience provided to the winner is unprecedented and really transforms one deserving individual into a superstar the entire race weekend. We look forward to reading all the nominations and announcing our finalists and grand prize winner in February, at the Daytona race.”

Once nominations are received, Crown Royal will provide fans the opportunity to cast their votes for whose name they think should be incorporated into the annual spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event at Richmond International Raceway. The grand prize winner will then be announced from Daytona in a patriotic ceremony among all the finalists, NASCAR’s Roush Fenway Racing driver Matt Kenseth and representatives from Crown Royal and Richmond International Raceway.
"There are no words to describe how special this is for one serviceman or servicewoman," Kenseth said.  "Crown Royal goes the extra step to ensure the individual who wins is treated like royalty throughout race weekend. I encourage all adult race fans to think about their friends and family serving our country and nominate them for this honor."

This past May the race was titled “Crown Royal Presents the Heath Calhoun 400” in honor of retired serviceman Heath Calhoun.  Calhoun was awarded the honor for his determination and ability to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest despite their injuries. Prior to his race in Richmond, Calhoun also competed on the US Paralympics Team at the 2010 Paralympics Winter Games, where he scored an 8th-place finish in the Super-G and a 10th-place finish in the Men’s Super Combined alpine skiing events.

“It is great to have a dedicated partner like Crown Royal continue to make the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway something special and like no other race on the circuit,” said track President Doug Fritz. “We are honored to be involved again in 2011 in showcasing one inspirational serviceman or servicewoman’s story of incredible courage and patriotism.”

Those wishing to nominate one of their fellow soldiers (21 or older) to be the next Heath Calhoun, must write a brief essay, 50 words or less, on how that individual demonstrated the core values of the military in performing a selfless act that made them a hero.

Leading up to the big day in Richmond, Crown Royal will continue to remind fans to "Please Drink Responsibly.” through its “Safe Rides Home” designated driver initiatives and other programming designed to reinforce the importance of drinking responsibly.

NASCAR returns to Richmond International Raceway April 29-30, 2011 for an action-packed doubleheader weekend. The April 30 Crown Royal Presents The Your Name Here 400 showcases the stars of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series beating and banging around Richmond's 3/4-mile short track. Friday, April 29, features a full day of on-track activity, including the BUBBA burger 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race "under the lights," as well as practice and pole qualifying for the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series. Tickets go on sale to the general public January 15, 2011.

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Roush Rewind: Air Guard 400

Once again, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series made a stop at Richmond International Raceway. The Air Guard 400 was the final race before the Chase. For those on the bubble, they needed great finishes to keep their championship hopes alive. For those locked in, it was a chance to win and earn those crucial 10 bonus points that could help them get ahead once the top 12 in the field were reset. Denny Hamlin proved he is well on his way to possibly becoming the 2010 Cup champion as he took the checkered flag at Richmond, therefore making him the points leader when they head to
New Hampshire this coming Sunday.

Roush Fenway Racing came to Richmond with Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth locked into the Chase. Greg Biffle only had to finish the race ahead of the 42nd position to earn his spot as a championship contender. For David Ragan, however, his hopes of making the Chase had been crushed months ago, but Ragan isn’t ready to give it up just yet since he is still working toward getting his first career Cup win. On Saturday night, Biffle and Ragan struggled while Edwards and Kenseth were both able to have strong runs and get good finishes.

Greg Biffle knew coming into Saturday night’s race that he could get a 42nd place finish and still make the Chase. However, he really didn’t plan on finishing that far back, but handling issues and an unplanned stop that resulted in him going two laps down prevented him from getting the better finish he might have been capable of. Loose-handling issues plagued Biffle in qualifying, which resulted in him earning a 24th place starting position. Before the race even started on Saturday, Biffle reported that the cooling system was basically fried and that his helmet had filled with smoke, which resulted in the air going into the helmet being warm and the smell of an electrical fire filling his helmet too throughout the race. Once the green flag waved, Biffle immediately reported to crew chief Greg Erwin that the No. 16 3M Ford was way too loose and lacked grip. The first caution came out on lap 58, and Biffle pitted from the 29th position for four fuel, and a track bar and shim adjustment. He was still 29th for the restart, tires, and it became evident that the handling had actually gotten worse. It got so bad in fact that Biffle eventually went a lap down, and the decision was made to make an unscheduled pit stop on lap 130. Biffle went back out in the 38th position, two laps down. The 2nd caution came out on lap 145, and Biffle stayed out to get the wave around to get a lap back, but as luck would have it, a tire went down and Biffle had to pit just when the field was restarting. He was still 38th and two laps down when he got lapped by Denny Hamlin on lap 202, which put him three laps down. Rain brought out a caution on lap 226, and Biffle pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and wedge adjustments. It was during this stop that the 3M team discovered a hole in the nose of the car, which resulted in Biffle having to pit two more times for repairs. He restarted 35th and had gained two positions before he went down yet another lap down. He made a green-flag stop for fuel, tires, and a wedge adjustment to correct the tight-handling issues. Eventually, he went five laps down, but gained one back when the field cycled through green-flag stops shortly after he had made his stop. Biffle held on to gain one more position to finish 32nd. Biffle will start the Chase in the 7th position, 50 points behind points leader Denny Hamlin.

Richmond is actually one of David Ragan’s favorite tracks to visit on the circuit, but Saturday’s race proved to be more difficult than he thought it would be. The team’s optimistic outlook for the race soon dissipated as Ragan struggled in practice then qualified the No. 6 UPS Ford in the 26th position. The handling problems the team had struggled with in practice and qualifying returned the second the race started on Saturday. Ragan reported to crew chief Donnie Wingo the car was tight in the center of the turns, loose off. Under the caution that came out on lap 58, he pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and track bar adjustments. A long green-flag run followed. Ragan was soon lapped by the leader despite the adjustments his crew had made. The car was running better through the turns, but it was still loose off the turns, which resulted in Ragan struggling to gain any ground on the drivers ahead of him. The next pit stop was for four tires, fuel, and a wedge adjustment. However, the changes still did nothing to help the loose-handling condition of the No. 6 Ford. When the caution flag waved on lap 226 due to rain, Ragan pitted for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and wedge adjustments. He was 22nd for the restart on lap 242, and immediately following the restart, reported the car was still too loose. A lack of cautions prevented Ragan from being able to pit and make the adjustments the car needed. He ultimately finished 23rd, 2 laps down. Ragan is 25th in the standings.

After missing the Chase in 2009, Matt Kenseth came to Richmond with no worries of that scenario playing out again in 2010. Kenseth and his team were looking to finish up the final pre-Chase race with a strong performance. He started Saturday night’s race from the 12th position, and cracked the top ten shortly after the green flag had waved. The lengthy opening green-flag run soon had Kenseth informing crew chief Jimmy Fennig that the No. 17 Crown Royal Ford was lacking grip and was tight in the center of the turns, loose off. Kenseth pitted under the lap 58 caution for four tires, fuel, and air pressure and track bar adjustments. He restarted 7th. The adjustments had helped the car gain more overall grip, but loose-handling conditions continued to plague Kenseth. The caution flag waved again on lap 145, and once more Kenseth pitted for more adjustments. He restarted 4th, but the changes made during the pit stop had hurt more than helped. The car had become so tight in the center of the turns that Kenseth couldn’t get it to roll through the turns like he needed it to. Any chance he got, Kenseth pitted so his crew could make adjustments to his car, but handling problems continued to hamper any progress he hoped to make. Kenseth battled hard to get a good finish. Kenseth finished 14th and is now 11th in the standings, 60 points behind Denny Hamlin.

On Friday, Carl Edwards looked like he would be the driver to beat at Richmond. Not only was he fastest in final practice, but he also claimed the pole, which was his 2nd of the season. Edwards led the first 53 laps in the No. 99 Cheez-It Ford before getting passed by the No. 48 of Jimmie Johnson. He pitted under the caution on lap 58, and thanks to a flawless stop by his crew, was able to lead the field back to green. He held onto the lead for the next 42 laps until being passed by the No. 33 of Clint Bowyer. Edwards then reported to crew chief Bob Osborne that the No. 99 Ford was losing grip. He fell back to the 9th position before pitting under the lap 145 caution so his crew could make a wedge adjustment. Edwards restarted 8th. The short runs seemed to be when Edwards’s car ran the best. He was up to 5th by lap 175, but unfortunately the car began to lose grip again. He was 13th when the final caution of the day came out on lap 226 due to rain. The weather looked like it wouldn’t cause the race to end early so Osborne called Edwards down pit road so the team could make an air pressure adjustment. He was 12th for the restart, but the car was still lacking the grip he needed to get back to the front. The No. 99 crew spent the last of the race trying to make the adjustments needed to get Edwards back to the lead. However, the adjustments they made just weren’t enough. Edwards finished 10th and is 9th in the standings, 60 points behind Denny Hamlin.

Virginia native Denny Hamlin won the Air Guard 400 at Richmond International Raceway in dominant fashion, leading 251 laps. He held off teammate Kyle Busch to get that victory, racking up his 6th victory of the season. It put him just 10 points ahead of four-time champion Jimmie Johnson. Congratulations to Denny Hamlin and the No. 11 team on their victory on Saturday and for rocketing to the top of the standings.

Roush Fenway Racing now occupies ¼ of the Chase. Will one of the three Roush Fenway drivers be able bring home a championship to the organization that last earned those honors in 2004? It’s a possibility, but with 12 very talented drivers vying for that top spot come Homestead, it’s anybody’s race…

The Chase is on!

Next up: Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, September 19, 2010.

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Harvick Wins Regular Season but Hamlin Starts Chase First with Win at RIR

Hamlin Claims 6th Win of Season

RICHMOND, VA. (Sept. 11, 2010) -- Denny Hamlin won again at what he calls his "home track" on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit Saturday night – the .75-mile Richmond International Raceway.

The Virginia native from Chesterfield fought off numerous challenges from Jimmy Johnson, Clint Bowyer and Kyle Busch to win the last event before NASCAR's 10-race version of a playoff begins next Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The victory was Hamlin's second at his home-state track and his series-leading sixth of the season, which gives him the top seed for the playoff races.

Twelve drivers qualify for the playoffs and their points are recalculated beginning at New Hampshire. Each of the 12 drivers get 5,000 points plus 10 bonus points for each win this season. Hamlin's six wins put him atop the list with 5060 points. Jimmie Johnson, who finished third Saturday night, is seeded second with five wins, for 5050 points. Kyle Busch, runner-up Saturday night, will be seeded fourth. Regular-season points leader Kevin Harvick, who was ninth Saturday night, will be seeded third.
    
Rounding out the top 10 finishers Saturday night were Joey Logano, Marcos Ambrose, Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, A J Allmendinger and Carl Edwards.

    
Drivers in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup include Hamlin, Johnson, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards, Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Bowyer.
    
This was the 26th race of the 2010 season and most drivers were focused on winning because 10 of the top 12 spots in the series standings were decided before the green flag fell on the Air Guard 400 at Richmond.
    
Edwards drove away to a good lead while Montoya, Allmendinger and Bowyer raced hard for the second spot. Actually, Bowyer, who started the race 12th, needed only a 28th-place finish to clinch the 12th and final position in the Chase. Biffle, who was 11th in the standings starting the race, needed only a 42th-place finish to clinch a spot. Biffle was cruising around mid-pack in the early going.
    
After 25 of 400 laps, Edwards held a half-second lead over Montoya and Allmendinger with Bowyer and Johnson just behind. David Reutimann was next, followed by Logano, Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard and Stewart.
    
Reutimann brought out the first caution after a tap from Kurt Busch on the 57th lap turned him around. Reutimann remained on the lead lap and did no apparent damage to his Toyota.
    
Jason Leffler had to park his Toyota about this time and his withdrawal from the race clinched a spot in the Chase for Biffle.
    
On the restart at Lap 63, Edwards was out front with Johnson right behind him. Bowyer was next, followed by Stewart, Allmendinger, Montoya, Kenseth, Keselowski, Menard and Kurt Busch.
    
Bowyer took the lead shortly before the 100-lap mark with Edwards and Johnson in tow. Hamlin had worked his way to fourth place. Allmendinger was fifth.
    
Hamlin took the lead a few laps later and the top 10 included Bowyer, Johnson, Allmendinger, Kenseth, Montoya, Stewart, Edwards, Burton and Kyle Busch.
    
Terry Labonte brought out the second caution of the night on Lap 145 when a cut tire sent him into the wall.
    
Hamlin had the lead on the restart at Lap 152 but Johnson took over a couple laps later. Hamlin, Johnson and Bowyer swapped the lead like trading cards before a caution came out on Lap 226 for raindrops.
    
When the race restarted on lap 241, Hamlin was back out front.

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Harvick Holds Off Keselowski for Nationwide Win at Richmond

Credit: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski put on a thrilling finish with Harvick holding on to the victory at Richmond

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(September 10, 2010)

RICHMOND, Va.—Polesitter Kevin Harvick held off Nationwide Series points leader Brad Keselowski during a 40-lap run to the finish to win Friday night's Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway.

In the first race at Richmond and third overall with NASCAR's new Nationwide car, Harvick crossed the finish line .256 seconds ahead of Keselowski, who extended his championship lead to 373 points, over Carl Edwards, who ran 10th. Trevor Bayne finished third, tying his career best. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came home fourth, followed by Reed Sorenson.

The victory was Harvick's third of the season and 37th of his career, third all-time in the series. The owner/driver for Kevin Harvick Inc. led 170 of the 250 laps and was elated with the progress his No. 33 team had made with the new car.

"This is the future of our company, so we put a lot of effort into this program, knowing that all the other cars were going to go away, and knowing that we had to be good with this car," said Harvick, who gets his new chassis from Richard Childress Racing and his power from Earnhardt-Childress engines.


"RCR's been a big part of this as well, with the engines, the chassis and the engineering. Everybody's been working together. It's easy when you get started in the right direction to keep it going that way."
Keselowski likewise was pleased with his No. 22 Dodge team's progress with the new car, which is being phased in this year—with plans for full-time use in 2011.

"I was just glad that we were able to work on the car and make it better," Keselowski said. "That's been one of our larger struggles all year with this particular chassis. So I'm glad that we were able to do that—just a real good show for the new car on the short tracks.

"I think that's something to be proud of for the series. I think we can continue to work and make things better, but this was a great start."

Denny Hamlin, Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard, Kyle Busch and Edwards completed the top 10. A snafu in the pits cost Busch a chance for a record 11th win this season. Under caution on Lap 205, the quick-fill nozzle on one of Busch's fuel cans broke off and remained attached to the car as Busch left pit road.

Penalized for taking equipment from the pits, Busch restarted 21st on Lap 211 and worked his way up to ninth before the race ended.

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Edwards on the Pole for Air Guard 400

Are you ready to find out who the final two racers in the Chase will be?  Are you ready to see who will win the last ten points for the race by winning at Richmond International Raceway?  Well tomorrow night is the night to be watching on the edges of your seat by watching ABC coverage at 7:30 p.m. EST.

Carl Edwards won his second pole of the 2010 season in the No. 99 Cheez-It / Kellogg’s Ford for Roush Fenway Racing with a lap time of 21.133 (127.762 mph).  With Juan Pablo Montoya in the outside pole with a lap 21.184 (127.455 mph) only -0.051 behind Edwards.

1. Carl Edwards
2. Juan Pablo Montoya
3. A.J. Allmendinger
4. Clint Bowyer
5. David Reutimann
6. Joey Logano
7. Paul Menard
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
10. Kasey Kahne
11. Jimmie Johnson
12. Matt Kenseth
13. Marcos Ambrose
14. Denny Hamlin
15. Tony Stewart
16. Jeff Green
17. Regan Smith
18. Casey Mears
19. Mark Martin
20. Kevin Harvick
21. Kurt Busch
22. Jeff Gordon
23. Ryan Newman
24. Greg Biffle
25. Jeff Burton
26. David Ragan
27. Dave Blaney
28. Landon Cassill
29. Martin Truex Jr.
30. Joe Nemechek
31. Scott Speed
32. Kyle Busch
33. Sam Hornish Jr.
34. Jamie McMurray
35. Jason Leffler
36. Elliott Sadler
37. Mike Bliss
38. Travis Kvapil
39. David Gilliland
40. Tony Raines
41. Kevin Conway
42. Mattias Eckstrom
43. Bobby Labonte

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Singing a Dream: NASCAR fan makes semi-finals in Richmond's national anthem contest

Suzy DiCicco performs "Down in the River to Pray"
during her tryout at Short Pump Town Center
in Richmond, Va., last month.
(Photo courtesy of Suzy DiCicco)

When Charlotte, N.C., resident Suzy DiCicco learned about a contest to sing the national anthem at Richmond International Raceway, the avid NASCAR fan was in.

"I wanted to try out because I am a vocalist and music teacher, and I have heard some ... questionable ... anthems," DiCicco said with a laugh.

This summer Richmond International Raceway held its first national anthem contest, allowing the public to submit entries or attend tryouts to win the opportunity to sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" before Friday night's Nationwide race. The track received 100 entries from individuals eager to perform at the famous short track.

DiCicco, a preschool teacher, made it to the semi-finals, but it will be 22-year-old Ryan Corbin of Glen Allen, Va., a suburb of Richmond, who will sing the anthem before the Virginia 529 College Savings 250. DiCicco took the time to speak with Skirts and Scuffs about her tryout experience.

Living in the heart of NASCAR country, DiCicco has been a racing fan since 2007 and counts Tony Stewart, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Jamie McMurray among her favorite drivers. She interacts with fellow NASCAR fans on Twitter, including yours truly, and it was on the social networking site that she became aware of Richmond’s national anthem contest.

DiCicco saw a link about the contest I had posted on my Twitter feed. With her background in singing, DiCicco decided to find out more about the opportunity.

“I have been singing my whole life,” she said. “My first church solo was in third grade. I was in a touring youth choir in junior high and senior high, as well as the chamber/show choir at my high school. I studied music in college, and I've sung in weddings and funerals. The most fun I've ever had was performing in community theater. And, of course, I sing with my students!”

The track was accepting submissions through e-mail, CDs via mail and open auditions at Richmond’s Short Pump Town Center. DiCicco submitted an attachment of herself performing “The Star-Spangled Banner” through e-mail.

“I had originally made the recording to send to local sports teams, so I already had it,” she said.

DiCicco was chosen to become a semi-finalist based on her entry. From there, she went to the Short Pump Town Center in August to compete in an “American Idol”-style competition.

“I was the last of 15 contestants for that weekend (there had been another group of semi-finalists the previous weekend), and I performed ‘Down in the River to Pray,’ a Gospel song, from the ‘O Brother Where Art Thou?’ soundtrack as recorded by Allison Krauss,” DiCicco said.

Watch DiCicco's audition here.

“I was given comments by the judges, and then all the contestants were lined up while the judges conferred. The finalists were then called forward; five were chosen from each semi-final weekend. I did not make the final round.” DiCicco said Ryan Corbin, the eventual winner, was not from her group.

DiCicco said the contestants received comments from the judges, similar to “American Idol,” but there was no audience voting.

“The five judges made the choices. And none of the judges were as harsh as Simon Cowell, or cried like Paula Abdul!” DiCicco said with another laugh.

Though she didn’t win, DiCicco was grateful for her participation in the contest. The opportunity allowed her to take a road trip with her 12-year-old daughter and meet up with friends residing in Richmond, who came out to see her audition. DiCicco has never attended a race at the short track itself, but hopes to in the future, perhaps with her friends.

The experience was also a deeply personal one for DiCicco, strengthening her faith.

“The biggest thing I took away was growth in my trust of God. I prayed that when I went to sing, that I would focus on God, because He gave me this voice, the opportunity to train, and the opportunity to participate in the contest. I sang a Gospel song, and I hope that someone at that mall was inspired to think about God for him or herself,” she said.

“This was different. I could have made it all about me, but I knew that would be a mistake. Without my focus on God, and not myself, I'd have been so nervous I don't think I could have done it.”

If another track were to hold a national anthem contest, would DiCicco try out for it? The answer was a resounding yes.

“If any track is close enough for me to drive to so that I can audition, I'm there!” she said.

Keep an ear out for DiCicco. She may be coming to a track near you!

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TV Schedule Sept. 9-12

The Sprint Cup Series races under the lights at
Richmond in May. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

NASCAR goes racing under the lights for the second week in a row. After Atlanta, the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series head to Richmond for some short-track racing.

Saturday's Sprint Cup race will determine the 12-driver field in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. With 10 of the drivers already set and the final two all but locked in, there is little drama surrounding who'll make the playoffs. But the 0.75-mile track gives the Chase drivers one last chance to score a win and accumulate those much-coveted 10 bonus points, a boon when the points standings are reset. Tempers are also known to flare in Richmond's tight quarters, so it's very possible we will see a new feud - or two or three - emerge from Saturday's Air Guard 400.

Kyle Busch won the spring Cup event at Richmond in dominant fashion. Only a few weeks ago he dominated at another short track this season, Bristol, and made history winning in all three series. Will he sweep this year's Cup races at Richmond? Teammate Denny Hamlin is the defending fall race winner. If Hamlin wins at Richmond, traditionally a good track for him, he would lead the points standings with a season-high six wins, one more than reigning champion Jimmie Johnson. Can Hamlin overcome the bad luck he had at Atlanta to claim victory - and the points lead?

In the Nationwide Series, Friday night's race marks the return of the Nationwide COT. This is the third time the new model will be run this year and the first time on a short track. With this is mind, Thursday has been designated as a test day for the new car.

Though the new model brings with it a lot of unknowns, it's the drivers who will be the center of attention at Friday's race. Spring race winner Brad Keselowski is leading the championship standings by 332 over Carl Edwards. Though he has a solid lead in driver points, the No. 22 team is second in the owner points standings, 83 points behind Joe Gibbs Racing's No. 18 team. A win could either help Keselowski erase some of that deficit, or propel the No. 18 team further ahead. With Kyle Busch in the No. 18 this weekend, will we see another encounter between the two for the race win, a la Bristol? Keselowski's other sparring partner, Edwards, is defending fall race winner. Expect things to get interesting at Richmond on Friday night for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250.

The Camping World Truck Series is off this week and will return next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The following is a handy schedule of track events and TV coverage this weekend at Richmond. All times are in Eastern Standard Time (events without a channel listed will not be televised):

Thursday, Sept. 9:
9 a.m. NNS Practice
1 p.m. NNS Practice

Friday, Sept. 10:
10 a.m. NNS Final Practice
12 noon NSCS Practice, ESPN2
2:45 p.m. NSCS Final Practice, ESPN2
3:30 p.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
4 p.m. NNS Qualifying, ESPN2
5 p.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
5:30 p.m. NSCS Qualifying, ESPN2
7 p.m. NNS Countdown, ESPN2
7:30 p.m. NNS: Virginia 529 College Savings 250, ESPN2. Green flag: 7:43 p.m. (reruns at 3:30 a.m.)
11 p.m. Trackside at Richmond, SPEED. Guest: Marcos Ambrose.

Saturday, Sept. 11:
9 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
12:30 p.m. NASCAR Performance, SPEED
1 p.m. NASCAR Smarts, SPEED
1:30 p.m. NASCAR in A Hurry, SPEED
5 p.m. NASCAR RaceDay, SPEED
7 p.m. NSCS Countdown, ABC
7:30 p.m. NSCS: Air Guard 400, ABC. Green flag: 7:43 p.m. (reruns at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN2)
11 p.m. NSCS Post-Race, ABC
11:30 p.m. NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED (reruns Sunday and Monday)

Sunday, Sept. 12:
12:30 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
2 a.m. Changing Lanes (episode #1), BET
3 a.m. Changing Lanes (episode #2), BET
8 p.m. NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED (reruns at 2 a.m. and 9 a.m. Monday)
11 p.m. Langley NASCAR Whelen Modified Race (taped Sept. 4), VS

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Logano, Allgaier, and Venturini Headline Appearances at Richmond International Raceway (September 10)

Richmond, VA (August 26, 2010) — NASCAR drivers Joey Logano and Justin Allgaier, and NASCAR on SPEED reporter Wendy Venturini will participate in question-and-answer sessions in the Friday, September 10 Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone fan hospitality at Richmond International Raceway. The Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone fan hospitality, which includes a pre-race pit pass to see Friday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series practice from pit road, is a great way to experience all of the excitement at America’s Premier Short Track prior to the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race.

In addition to the appearances by Logano, Allgaier and Venturini, SPEED-TV personality Hermie Sadler and track president Doug Fritz will also participate in question and answer sessions in the Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone.

The Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone is available on Friday, September 10 from 2:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and includes:

• Pre-race pit pass (valid 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., time and weather permitting; guests must be 18 or older for pit road access on Friday; legs and shoulders must be covered and no open-toed shoes allowed).
• Appetizers from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
• All-you-can-eat dinner buffet from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
• Three (3) beer tickets for fans 21 years of age and older (with valid identification).
• Unlimited sodas and water.
• Question and answer sessions with Logano, Allgaier, Venturini, Sadler and Fritz.
• Live musical entertainment.
• Prizes and more!

The Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone is available for $65 only to ticket holders for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 race.  Fans must have a NASCAR Nationwide Series race ticket to purchase the Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone package. Richmond International Raceway is proud to offer a special price of just $10 for children 12 and under in the Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone. The children’s tickets do not include a pre-race pit pass or adult beverage tickets, and you must call 866-455-RACE (7223) to order children’s Party Zone tickets.

To purchase Scotts Turf Builder Party Zone passes, please log on to www.rir.com or call the Richmond International Raceway ticket office at 866-455-RACE (7223).

The Virginia 529 College Savings 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series race is part of the Post-9/11 GI Bill NASCAR Weekend at Richmond, September 10-11. Friday’s events for the Virginia 529 College Savings 250 race “under the lights” include Fas Mart Pole Qualifying and practice for the Sprint Cup Series and WRIC-TV8 Pole Qualifying and practice for the Nationwide Series. Tickets start at $30 and children 12 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult on Friday only.

Tickets are also on sale now for the Saturday, September 11 Air Guard 400–“One Last Race to Make The Chase”—NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, including a limited number of $40 seats, and can be purchased on www.rir.com or by calling 866-455-RACE (7223).


About Richmond International Raceway:
Richmond International Raceway, known as America’s Premier Short Track, offers exciting night racing action and a commitment to the fan experience. One of the most popular facilities among drivers and fans in all of motorsports, Richmond International Raceway annually hosts all of its major events—two NASCAR Doubleheader weekends, featuring the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and NASCAR Nationwide Series—under the lights on its ¾-mile D-Shaped oval. The unique layout consistently produces the thrill of side-by-side racing, coupled with high enough speeds for a superspeedway feel. Combined with first-class amenities (including the new-for-2010 Video Scoring Tower) and a focus on the fans, guests at Richmond International Raceway can expect to experience what “Racing Perfection” truly is. For tickets to events at Richmond International Raceway, call 866-455-RACE or visit www.rir.com online. Find us on Facebook and follow us

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The Lugnut Report: Matt Kenseth Continues Quiet Season in Richmond

After a disappointing 2009 that saw him miss the Chase, Matt Kenseth has been looking for consistently in this 2010 season. That began with making Todd Parrott his crew chief earlier this season.

"I think it was really good for our team to make a change and they all look up to Todd. He's always really upbeat,"

Richmond International Raceway would be full of action for Kenseth, who would be competing in both the Bubba Burger 200 Nationwide race and the Heath Calhoun 400 Presented by Crown Royal Sprint Cup event.

After Colin Braun's miserable start to the 2010 season, where he failed to finish five of his eight starts, owner Jack Roush made the decision to take the 21 year old out of the No. 16 Con-way Freight Ford and insert former Cup champion Kenseth in for two races.

Having to qualify on time, Kenseth and the No. 16 started the Nationwide Series race eighth. A quiet night running up front ended with Kenseth finishing 10th, the first top ten for the No. 16.

Kenseth practiced and qualified in the 20s, and and had to battle his way up to the front Saturday night in Richmond. He ended the night 13th.

After his seventh top 15 of the year, Kenseth was the only person within the top 12 in points to maintain the same points position he had before the race started.

Thanks to NASCAR.com, NASCAR on FOX, NASCAR on ESPN, Racing Reference, Rotoworld, FOX News, Pierre County Herald for the information, quotes and stats used in this piece.

For Patti Rodisch's Lugnut Report on Clint Bowyer, click here.

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Richmond May Not Be Stewart's Favorite Track After Saturday Night's Race

Tony Stewart said earlier in the week that Richmond is his favorite track.  Saturday night, that track was not kind to Stewart as he finished the Crown Royal Heath Calhoun 400 in 23rd place, after struggling all night.

Although Crew Chief Darian Grubb worked tirelessly, the Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala was a handful throughout the 400-lap race around the .75-mile oval.

“We’re just not where we need to be right now,”  said Stewart, who now finds himself 15th in the championship standings with 1,160 points, a loss of one position that puts him 307 points behind new series leader Kevin Harvick.

Stewart fell out of the top-12 drivers to 14th last week at Talladega and dropped one more spot to 15th in the standings with the Richmond run.

Kyle Busch was the winner of the race as he jumped ahead of Jeff Gordon, who finished second, on a late-race restart.

Racing Under the Lights at Richmond

Al Bellow/Getty Images for NASCAR

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Richmond win presents Kyle Busch with early birthday gift

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

RICHMOND, Va. (May 1, 2010) — Frustration continued to dog Jeff Gordon, but on Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway, it was polesitter Kyle Busch—not four-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson — who kept Gordon out of Victory Lane.

Busch surged past Gordon after a restart with five laps left in the Crown Royal presents Heath Calhoun 400 and cleared Gordon's Chevrolet to the outside through Turns 3 and 4. Four laps later, Busch beat Gordon to the finish line by .755 seconds.

Busch spent the eve of his 25th birthday in Victory Lane, celebrating his second consecutive win in the spring Richmond event. Last year Busch claimed victory on his birthday, becoming only the second driver in NASCAR history to do so.

The victory was Busch's 17th in the Sprint Cup Series. He started the race weekend by sweeping the pole positions in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races at Richmond.

Kevin Harvick ran third behind Gordon, followed by Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards. Juan Pablo Montoya, Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Newman, Marcos Ambrose and Johnson completed the top 10.

Harvick took over the lead in the series standings from Johnson, who trails by 10 points through 10 events.

All told, Busch led 226 of 400 laps to Gordon's 144.

 

"I figured I was going to get the outside (for the last restart)," said Busch, who won the spring race at Richmond for the second straight year. "All I wanted to do was just get into Turn 1 smooth and get a good launch up off Turn 2 down the backstretch—and then make sure I got into (Turn) 3 without over-driving it. …

"I knew if I could just get through Turn 3 OK and hammer down off Turn 4 and get him cleared that it would be pretty good—and it worked. That's what I did. Did I have a plan? Was that exactly my plan? No. I was just going to drive it as hard as I could, and make whatever happened happen. It worked, just off the cuff."      

Gordon finished second for the eighth time since his last win in the series on April 5, 2009 at Texas, 39 races ago.

"I've been doing this long enough to know they don't give out trophies for leading any lap other than the last one," said Gordon, who reached the boiling point at Talladega last week after Johnson, his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, forced him onto the apron in Turn 3. Moments later, Gordon was wrecked.

"We're a team that's made huge strides, in my opinion, from last year. … That's what I'm excited about. We're leading laps at a lot of different types of tracks, and I think our team is really on top of our game.

"Yeah, it's a little disappointing that we haven't won some races yet, but if we keep doing this, those will come. We've got to keep putting ourselves in position."

Gordon led by 2.566 seconds when Elliott Sadler slid through the frontstretch grass with four flat tires to bring out the fourth caution of the race on Lap 367. When pit road opened on Lap 373, Gordon, Burton, Harvick, Montoya and Ryan Newman stayed out on tires that were three laps old when the caution flew.

Busch, Denny Hamlin, Truex Jr. and Edwards led a group to pit road for fresh rubber in preparation for a restart on Lap 378. Gordon was leading when the sixth caution flew on Lap 389 for Sam Hornish Jr.'s wreck on the backstretch. That set up the five-lap dash to the finish.

 

Busch ran away with the first half of the race, leading all but eight of the first 229 laps before Burton powered past him in Turn 3 on Lap 230. Burton held the top spot for 20 laps, only to surrender it to Gordon, whose car came to life in the middle of a long green-flag run.

"I have no idea how this has just happened — but I'm liking it," Gordon radioed to crew chief Steve Letarte after the pass for the lead. Gordon extended his advantage through a cycle of green-flag pit stops, and by Lap 300 he had stretched his advantage over Harvick to 2.878 seconds.

Notes: Edwards led Laps 269 and 270 during a cycle of green-flag pit stops. Those were the only laps he has led this year, ending a 12-race drought dating to Talladega in November 2009. … Busch gave Dave Rogers his first victory as a Sprint Cup crew chief.

Crown Royal presents the Heath Calhoun 400 results:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Jeff Gordon    
3. Kevin Harvick    
4. Jeff Burton    
5. Carl Edwards    
6. Juan Montoya    
7. Martin Truex Jr.    
8. Ryan Newman    
9. Marcos Ambrose    
10. Jimmie Johnson    
11. Denny Hamlin    
12. Clint Bowyer    
13. Matt Kenseth    
14. Brad Keselowski    
15. David Reutimann    
16. Joey Logano    
17. A.J. Allmendinger    
18. Kurt Busch
19. Jamie McMurray    
20. Brian Vickers
21. Kasey Kahne
22. Greg Biffle    
23. Tony Stewart    
24. David Ragan
25. Mark Martin
26. Casey Mears
27. Paul Menard
28. Robby Gordon
29. David Stremme    
30. Regan Smith
31. David Gilliland    
32. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
33. Bobby Labonte
34. Travis Kvapil    
35. Scott Speed    
36. Sam Hornish Jr.    
37. Kevin Conway*    
38. Elliott Sadler    
39. Terry Cook*    
40. Mike Bliss    
41. Reed Sorenson    
42. Tony Raines    
43. Joe Nemechek

*Rookie

PHOTOS AND TEXT FROM NASCAR MEDIA

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Busch vs. Busch: Richmond

Kyle Busch

Nationwide: Busch was third in final practice and took the pole for the Bubba Burger 250. This was also Busch's first Nationwide pole of 2010 and third at Richmond. Busch led until lap 59, when Brad Keselowski passed him. During the caution on lap 96, Busch lost four spots when the crew had trouble with a lug nut. With 90 to go, he was stuck in fifth place. With 61 laps left, a caution came out and his crew stepped it up, bringing him out second. Busch took the lead after a caution with six laps left but having not gone on to pit road, he couldn't beat Keselowski and his new tires. He finished fourth.

Cup: Busch was in the top five in both practices, placing fifth and first. He kept his momentum going into qualifying, first with the Nationwide pole followed by the Cup pole. He started next to fellow Toyota driver David Reutimann. Busch quickly pulled away from the rest of the pack at the drop of the green flag. He kept his lead through the first caution and kept going, lapping cars and making his lead even bigger. On lap 171 he lost the lead to Ryan Newman after a caution for debris but he took it back quickly since Newman was on two tires while Busch was on four. On lap 230, he lost the lead to Jeff Burton, who was hungry for a win. On lap 242, Busch fell further back to third place, being passed by the other Jeff (Gordon). He still didn't know what was wrong with his car. With 100 laps left, he was in fourth place. With 25 to go, Busch was in sixth after a caution. After two more cautions and 12 to go, he was in second. On the restart, Busch got a jump on Gordon and took the checkered flag.


Kurt Busch

To read the remainder of the article, visit examiner.com

This article originally appeared on LV NASCAR Examiner and republished with permission of the author.

Photo courtesy of Pennington/Getty Images for NASCAR)

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Keselowski charges to Nationwide win at RIR

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

RICHMOND, Va. (April 30, 2010) — After a late caution turned a runaway into a challenge for Brad Keselowski, a late four-tire call proved decisive, as Keselowski stormed to the front from fourth place during a green-white-checkered-flag finish to win Friday night's Bubba Burger 250 Nationwide Series race at Richmond International Raceway.

Keselowski, who led 189 of 252 laps, had an advantage of almost two seconds when Paul Menard slammed the Turn 2 wall on Lap 245 of a scheduled 250 at the .75-mile short track.

"I'm coming," Keselowski radioed to crew chief Paul Wolfe, steering his car toward pit road for a four-tire stop.

Kyle Busch and Justin Allgaier stayed out on old tires, while Jamie McMurray and Greg Biffle each took two. Busch led the field to green on Lap 251 with Allgaier beside him, McMurray on the inside of the second row and Keselowski alongside in fourth.

Biffle surged forward from the fifth spot, and by the time the cars reached Turn 3 on the next-to-last lap, Keselowski and Biffle had separated themselves from the pack. A lap later, Keselowski passed to the inside and ultimately crossed the finish line .261 seconds ahead of Biffle.

McMurray finished third, Busch fourth and Carl Edwards fifth. Keselowski extended his series lead to 59 points over seventh-place finisher Kevin Harvick.

The victory was Keselowski's second in as many weeks to go with last Sunday's victory at Talladega Superspeedway.

"That's what you pay me to do, R.P.," Keselowski radioed to team owner Roger Penske after powering his No. 22 Dodge across the finish line.

"Man, this is awesome to watch you, Brad," Penske replied.

Keselowski and Wolfe's decision to pit for tires proved to be the winning move.

"If we lost this race, and I didn't take tires, I'd be so mad," said Keselowski, who won for the eighth time in the series. "We came down pit road and got those tires and made the right move on Greg on the last lap, and it all worked out."

Busch started from the pole but couldn't hold Keselowski off on old or new tires.

"We didn't have the car tonight," Busch said. "We just didn't have anything for the 22 tonight. He was stellar."

Keselowski and Busch were the class of the field for the first 100 laps. Busch started from the pole and stayed out front for 58 laps, before Keselowski nosed ahead at the start/finish line on Lap 59.

By the time Scott Lagasse's blown right front tire necessitated the third caution of the race on Lap 95, Keselowski had opened a lead of more than five seconds over Busch and had reduced the number of cars on the lead lap to 16.

From that point on, though, it remained Keselowski's race. He surrendered the lead only once the rest of the way—when he pitted for the four tires before the final restart.

Bubba Berger 250 results:

1. Brad Keselowski
2. Greg Biffle
3. Jamie McMurray
4. Kyle Busch
5. Carl Edwards
6. Joey Logano
7. Kevin Harvick
8. Reed Sorenson
9. Brendan Gaughan
10. Matt Kenseth
11. Kelly Bires
12. James Buescher*
13. Mike Bliss
14. Jason Keller
15. Justin Allgaier
16. Jason Leffler
17. Steve Wallace
18. Coleman Pressley
19. Paul Menard
20. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.*
21. Trevor Bayne
22. Kenny Wallace
23. Clint Bowyer
24. Tony Raines
25. Steve Arpin
26. Michael Annett
27. Willie Allen
28. Brian Scott *
30. Shelby Howard
31. Eric McClure
32. Hermie Sadler
33. Johnny Chapman
34. Scott Lagasse Jr.
35. Joe Nemechek
36. Morgan Shepherd
37. Josh Wise Ford
38. Kevin Lepage
39. David Gilliland
40. Mike Wallace
41. Mark Green
42. Derrike Cope
43. Brian Keselowski

*Rookie

PHOTOS AND TEXT FROM NASCAR MEDIA

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Richmond Cup race named after paralympics athlete and retired soldier

Crown Royal presents the Heath Calhoun 400

Richmond, VA (April 28, 2010) – When the 43 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers hit the track this weekend at Richmond International Raceway, they will all be racing to honor one man – Heath Calhoun. As the grand-prize winner of the Crown Royal “Your Name Here” contest, Calhoun was awarded naming rights to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on Saturday, May 1. The race is officially titled “Crown Royal Presents The Heath Calhoun 400.”

The Clarksville, Tenn, native was unveiled as the grand-prize winner earlier this year during a patriotic ceremony at Daytona International Speedway. This year marked the first that Crown Royal, a subsidiary of Diageo plc (NYSE: DEO), focused the annual promotion solely on military service members to honor their achievements.

Calhoun and four other military members were chosen as the top finalists after nominations were received from their friends, family and fellow soldiers for their ability to demonstrate the core values of the military in performing a selfless act that made them a hero. Heath’s winning nomination detailed his determination and ability to inspire others to live their lives to the fullest, despite their injuries.
   
“The last few months have been a whirlwind,” said Calhoun. “Since being announced the Crown Royal winner, I have competed in the Paralympics, met President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama, and will soon be living out any race fan’s dream by having my own race. This has truly been an unbelievable experience. Thanks to Crown Royal, I will have the experience of a lifetime. I look forward to representing all the men and women who serve our country during the race weekend.”

Calhoun, 30, retired from the US Army when he lost both of his legs in an explosion in Iraq. For his efforts on duty, he received a Purple Heart, as well as the George C. Lang Award for Courage. He works closely with the Wounded Warrior Project in an effort to help as many people as he can. Calhoun recently competed on the US Paralympics Team at the 2010 Paralympics Winter Games, where he scored an 8th-place finish in the Super-G and a 10th-place finish in the Men’s Super Combined alpine skiing events.

Calhoun was also selected by Team USA to serve as flag bearer for Opening Ceremonies. Growing up very close to Bristol Motor Speedway, Calhoun has always loved NASCAR and remembers listening to the races on the radio with his grandfather when he was young.

“We are extremely proud to have such a remarkable athlete and hero in Heath Calhoun representing Crown Royal,” said Rob Mason, senior brand manager, Crown Royal. “In addition to his personal sacrifices for our country, Heath is very deserving of having his name in lights as he embodies the character and core values that we celebrate as a brand. We are confident that NASCAR fans at the track and at home watching the race will be taken aback by Heath’s accomplishments and his drive to make a difference. We look forward to making Heath the king of the race and we hope to toast all the men and women that serve our country, in Victory Lane - responsibly.”

Calhoun will receive the royal treatment throughout the weekend. His name will be incorporated into the race broadcast and has been included on all the race tickets and merchandise. Some of his duties include serving as Grand Marshal, participating in pace-car laps, watching the race from the No. 17 pit box and delivering the trophy – emblazoned with his name – to the race winner in Victory Lane.

Calhoun will be joined by his wife Tiffany and several close friends and family members.
 
“Richmond International Raceway congratulates Heath and sincerely thanks him and all the members of our nation’s armed forces to whom this race is dedicated,” said Richmond International Raceway President Doug Fritz. “The partnership with Crown Royal and the ‘Your Name Here’ contest has been a huge success, and Heath is another great winner. We look forward to continuing this great tradition by having Heath join us for an exciting weekend at America’s Premier Short Track.”

Prior to the race at Richmond International Raceway, America’s Premier Short Track, Crown Royal driver Matt Kenseth, along with Doug Fritz and Heath Calhoun, will participate in a private luncheon with Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell.  The event will take place as a special tribute to Heath, his upcoming race, as well as his service to the country and ability to make a difference despite his injury.
 
“It has been an honor to meet Heath as well as all the other finalists that took part in this program,” said Kenseth. “Crown Royal has given me and the team numerous opportunities to interact with race fans this season and it’s been a blast.  We look forward to this weekend’s race activities and continuing our involvement with Crown Royal throughout the season to ensure adult race fans always drink responsibly.” 
.
Crown Royal continues to use its NASCAR-related sponsorships to remind adult fans to "Please Drink Responsibly.” This includes activities to support the race at Richmond, as well as its signature “Safe Rides Home” designated driver initiatives and other programming designed to reinforce responsible drinking.

Release courtesy of Roush Fenway Racing

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