Nascar SCS Bank of America 500 at Charlotte Motor Spdwy Sat. October 11 on ABC at 7:30 PM ET

Nascar ^

[mabarker1]

Earnhardt Jr. may race for his own team in the future: #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. met with members of the media at Kansas Speedway and discussed many topics, including:
Q) WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND FUTURE PLANS FOR JR MOTORSPORTS WITH REGAN SMITH STAYING AT LEAST THROUGH NEXT YEAR? HAVE YOUR PLANS CHANGED? IS IT EVOLVING AND WILL WE SEE DIFFERENT THINGS THERE? WHAT DO YOU LOOK AHEAD TOWARDS?
Earnhardt Jr.: "Well the Nationwide Series is a year to year deal. Our sponsorships are short term compared to the Cup level so our relationships with our drivers have to fit in those windows as well. That is nothing unusual about going year to year or every two years with a driver contract. We do the same thing with the sponsorships as well sometimes. We would love to have longer agreements, but that just depends on the money just like every other piece of the puzzle. The money really has a big effect on it. I am really happy that we are basically going to have a carbon copy of what we did this year next season. We have had a lot of success and I think we can build on that and everything is going to stay in place and we are going to go on down the road. On down the road is just 12 months. When you talk about the Cup Series you look a little further. I would like to race for that company one day, so I hope to keep it healthy until that opportunity presents itself. Whenever I'm done Cup racing to jump in a Nationwide car and do that for a couple of years in my own shop."(Team Chevy)(10-5-2014)

[mabarker1]

I’m looking for TV info- none so far but I’m still digging.

[mabarker1]

Yep!

Q: hat does a 300lb Canary say?

[mabarker1]

hat= what *Broken “w” key)

[mabarker1]

Nope

Anybody else?

[Chode]

hell, some say i STILL don't know nothing...

[mabarker1]

Goodyear Tires Notes / Fast Facts

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• Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials

• Set limits: Sprint Cup:
  5 sets for practice/qualifying and 11 sets for the race;
  Nationwide: 7 sets for the event

• Tire Codes:
  Left-side -- D-4428; Right-side -- D-4552

• Tire Circumference:
  Left-side -- 87.52 in. (2,223 mm);
  Right-side -- 88.43 in. (2,246 mm)

• Technical Inspection Inflation:
  Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
  Right Front -- 55 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

• Minimum Recommended Inflation:
  Left Front -- 30 psi; Left Rear -- 30 psi;
  Right Front -- 54 psi; Right Rear -- 50 psi

• Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same Goodyear tire codes at Charlotte this week . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that these teams have run at Charlotte since 2012 . . . while Charlotte is the only track at which Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams have run this left-side tire code (D-4428) this season, these teams did run this right-side tire code (D-4552) at Darlington in April . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Charlotte . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

[mabarker1]

< deep voice > HERE KITTY, KITTY < /deep voice >

[mabarker1]

PRAYERS UP AND OUT, HERE WE GO AGAIN WITH THAT DAMNED cancer crap. Why can't it be scumbag politicians?

Steve Byrnes' cancer has returned: Longtime NASCAR on FOX on-air personality Steve Byrnes is taking an indefinite medical leave of absence, effectively immediately, to focus on his health after receiving news he has suffered a recurrence of cancer. Byrnes, who was diagnosed and successfully treated for head-and-neck cancer in late 2013, steps away from his NASCAR Race Hub co-hosting and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series play-by-play duties for FOX Sports 1 to concentrate on his upcoming medical treatment and time with his family. Any further updates on Byrnes will come at the discretion of the family.(FoxSports)(10-8-2014)

[Chode]

Prayers up

[mabarker1]

Charlotte Notes & Facts - Thursday - poles:
· Fireball Roberts won the inaugural Coors Light pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway (World 600) in 1960 with a speed of 133.904 mph.
· 42 drivers have Coors Light poles at Charlotte, led by David Pearson with 14. Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon lead all active drivers in poles at CMS with nine.
· 12 drivers have won consecutive Coors Light poles at Charlotte. David Pearson holds the record for most consecutive poles at Charlotte with 11; from the fall of 1973 through 1978.
· 15 of the 111 (13.5%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte have been won from the Coors Light pole; the three most recent were Jimmie Johnson in 2014 (Coca-Cola 600), 2009 (Chase race event) and 2004 (Coca-Cola 600).
· The second-place starting position is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (17) than any other starting position at Charlotte Motor Speedway (15.3% winning percentage).
· 32 of the 111 (28.8%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte have been won from the front row: 15 from the pole and 17 from second-place.
· 84 of the 111 (75.6%) NASCAR Sprint Cup races at Charlotte have been won from a top-10 starting position.
· Nine of the 111 (8.1%) NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Charlotte have been won from a starting position outside the top 20.
· Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series in average starting position at Charlotte with a 7.115.
· Four active drivers have posted their first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coors Light pole at Charlotte Motor Speedway: Jeff Gordon (10/10/93), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (5/28/00), Ryan Newman (5/27/01) and Aric Almirola (5/27/12).
· Qualifying has been cancelled due to weather conditions in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series at Charlotte Motor Speedway twice; the fall race of 2002 and the fall race of 2008.(NASCAR)(10-9-2014)

[mabarker1]

• Charlotte Goodyear Tire Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same Goodyear tire codes at Charlotte this week . . . this is the same combination of left- and right-side tires that these teams have run at Charlotte since 2012 . . . while Charlotte is the only track at which Sprint Cup and Nationwide teams have run this left-side tire code (D-4428) this season, these teams did run this right-side tire code (D-4552) at Darlington in April . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Charlotte . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.(Goodyear), see full notes, tire codes, pressures, set limits on the Charlotte Race Info page - Goodyear section.(10-9-2014)

[mabarker1]

• Hornish Jr. to RPM's #9 to replace Ambrose? UPDATES: The rumored replacement for Marcos Ambrose in the Richard Petty Motorsports #9 Ford ride for next year now looks like it will be Sam Hornish Jr. Speculation is the former Indy Car star and current Joe Gibbs Racing part-time Nationwide Series driver will get another shot at a full-time Sprint Cup ride next year when Ambrose returns to his native Australia.(Motor Racing Network)(10-6-2014)
  UPDATE: NASCAR driver and former IndyCar Series star Sam Hornish Jr. will move fulltime to the Sprint Cup Series with Richard Petty Motorsports, the Observer and ThatsRacin.com have learned. An official announcement of Hornish's hire to replace Marcos Ambrose beginning in the 2015 season could come as early as Wednesday, multiple sources confirmed. Ambrose is returning to his native Australia. This would Hornish's second fulltime stint in the Cup series. He struggled in his first go-around which was with Team Penske. In three-plus seasons, Hornish had eight top-10 finishes in 108 starts. In recent seasons he has found success running in the Nationwide Series, where he finished second in points last season and fourth in 2012. An RPM spokesperson was not immediately available for comment.(Charlotte Observer)(10-7-2014)
  UPDATE 2: Richard Petty Motorsports announced that three-time IndyCar Series Champion turned NASCAR winner, Sam Hornish, Jr. will join the storied organization to drive the #9 Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series full-time in 2015. Hornish, Jr. joins RPM from Joe Gibbs Racing where he competed part-time in the NASCAR Nationwide Series this season scoring one win and four Top-Five finishes in only eight starts. Hornish, Jr. has competed in three full seasons in the Sprint Cup Series as well as two full seasons in the Nationwide Series for Penske Racing where he finished second in points in 2013 by a mere three markers. In 2014, Hornish, Jr. has made the most of his time behind the wheel while driving a partial Nationwide Series schedule at Joe Gibbs Racing with two poles and a win. He is now ready to rejoin the Sprint Cup Series with RPM. "This is a great opportunity to join Richard Petty Motorsports and the No. 9 Ford team in the Sprint Cup Series," said Hornish, Jr. "Owners Richard Petty, Andrew Murstein and Doug Bergeron have built this organization into a championship-contending team with world-class sponsors and partners. Many people have noticed to the progress being made here and I'm ready to build off this momentum. My goal is to put the #9 team in victory lane in 2015 and be a competitor in 'The Chase'." The #9 team will continue to be led by Crew Chief Drew Blickensderfer who has three Sprint Cup Series wins to his credit. Co-Owner Richard Petty is proud to welcome Hornish, Jr. to the team. "Sam is a really good fit for RPM and will be a great addition to the team," said Petty. "He's a family man who fits well with our core values and he will be a great ambassador for our partners. Sam's also proven that he can win races and compete for a championship. He came into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series with a steep learning curve from open wheel racing, but has shown in the Nationwide Series that he is a winner. We feel that he can get the #9 team to Victory Lane and compete in 'The Chase' for us."(Richard Petty Motorsports)(10-8-2014)

[mabarker1]

• Bayne making Cup debut with Roush Fenway: Trevor Bayne will make his Roush Fenway Racing Sprint Cup debut this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway behind the wheel of the #6 AdvoCare Ford Fusion. This marks the first time that a #6 Roush Fenway Ford will start a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race since the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bayne will take the wheel of the #6 Ford Fusion full time in 2015. "I am very excited to be behind the wheel of the #6 AdvoCare Ford Fusion this weekend," said Bayne. "The #6 is such a legendary number to both the sport and this company. To be able to say that I am one of a handful of drivers to race this number in the Cup series is a huge honor. I can't wait to get to Charlotte." Bayne is not locked into the field for Saturday's race and must qualify his #6 AdvoCare Ford based on time during Thursday night's three-round qualifying session. If Bayne makes the race on speed, he will become just the fourth driver to start the #6 in the NSCS for team owner Jack Roush, joining former Roush Fenway drivers Mark Martin and David Ragan, as well as current Roush Fenway teammate Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. This weekend also marks the return of 18-time NSCS race-winning crew chief Bob Osborne, who will be atop the pit box for the AdvoCare team at Charlotte.(Roush Fenway Racing)
  AND: When the announcement was made in May at Charlotte that Bayne would be moving full-time to the Sprint Cup Series, Roush Fenway Racing president Steve Newmark indicated that there was a strong likelihood that Bayne would run a handful of Sprint Cup races with the team toward the end of the season. Newmark said at the time, "I still think that you'll see us try to position something where you'll see the 6 roll out the latter part of this year." There is no word if Charlotte will be the only Sprint Cup event that Bayne will run with Roush Fenway in 2014.(NASCAR.com) (10-8-2014)

[mabarker1]

Donlavey honored by NMPA: Longtime car owner Junie Donlavey was named the National Motorsports Press Association Spirit Award recipient for the third quarter of 2014. Donlavey, who passed away in June of this year at the age of 90, competed at NASCAR's highest level for more than four-and-a-half decades, beginning in 1950. Donlavey is credited with giving numerous drivers the opening they needed to begin, or further, their Cup careers. Among those whose first premier series starts came with Donlavey were two-time champ Joe Weatherly, Jimmy Hensley, Harry Gant and Robby Gordon. Donlavey also aided the careers of drivers such as Ken Schrader and Dick Trickle. Donlavey-owned teams made 863 starts, finishing in the top-10 in points on nine occasions. His lone win as an owner came in 1981 at Dover, Del., with driver Jody Ridley. Donlavey was inducted into the NMPA Hall of Fame in 2009. Also receiving votes for the third quarter were Sprint Cup drivers Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kyle Larson. Other quarterly winners of the Spirit Award for 2014 are Lynda Petty (first quarter) and Martin Truex Jr. (second quarter). The NMPA Spirit Award is designed to recognize character and achievement in the face of adversity, sportsmanship and contributions to motorsports. Each year, quarterly winners are chosen, and an overall winner is selected by a vote of the NMPA membership.(NMPA)(1-8-2014)

[mabarker1]

• McDowell to run special scheme at Charlotte: The Charlotte Motor Speedway race weekend will be a meaningful one for Michael McDowell and the Leavine Family Racing team as they honor a Davidson, N.C. child who recently lost his battle with cancer. Pieter Cornelis Swart, IV, age 5, passed away on Sept. 21, 2014 after a long battle with Neuroblastoma, an aggressive pediatric cancer. Pieter was diagnosed at age 3 and his family stated "he fought with dignity and strength, inspiring many along his journey." McDowell's son Trace, 5, has been a preschool classmate with Pieter for the past three years. To celebrate Pieter's life and bring awareness to this type of cancer, Pieter's Pals will be placed on the hood of the #95 KLOVE Ford Fusion. "It's really special to me and I'm thankful that Bob and Sharon (Leavine, team owners) are so supportive," McDowell said. "It's great for their friends and families and all the kids at the school to see. We want to bring some awareness to what this particular neurological cancer is and try to help prevent this from happening in the future." Race fans can offer words of support and find more information at the Pieter's Pals Facebook page. The family has stated that memorials may be made to: Pieter's Pals at DCPC Preschool, P.O. Box 337, Davidson, NC 28036. The donations will "be distributed to organizations helping kids & their families battling cancer and groups committed to finding a cure for childhood cancers."(Leavine Family Racing), see an image of the car on the #95 team paint schemes page.(10-8-2014)

[mabarker1]

• Petty plans to keep #9: With Chase Elliott expected to run a partial Sprint Cup schedule starting next season, some believed that Hendrick Motorsports would try to get the #9 car number for Chase to drive, since his father Bill drove that number for much of his Cup career. RPM was asked about that Tuesday during the press conference announcing Sam Hornish, Jr's hiring:
  THERE HAS BEEN SPECULATION RPM WOULD GIVE UP THE 9 TO HENDRICK WHEN CHASE ELLIOTT IS READY TO GO CUP RACING. HAVE YOU BEEN APPROACHED ABOUT CHANGING THE NUMBER NOW?
  SAMMY JOHNS, Director of Competition, Richard Petty Motorsports - "Currently, we're committed to racing the number 9 and we have no immediate plans to change."(Ford Racing)(10-9-2014)

[mabarker1]

Cup Practice 1 Speeds (pdf)

Cup P1 was not on TV so here are the results in the above link.

Nationwide Busch P1 will be on ESPN2 from 5:30 - 7:00 PM Tonight (Thursday)

[mabarker1]

Cup Qualifying on ESPN2 from 7:00 - 8:30 PM Tonight (Thursday)

[McGruff]

May have to watch some.