Nascar SCS Spongebob Squarepants 400 at Kansas Spdwy May Sat. 9 on FOX Sports 1 at 7:30 PM ET

EVENT SCHEDULE
Sprint Cup Series

Event Schedule times are local to the track

Thursday, May 7
11:30 AM NSCS HAULERS ENTER
2:00 - 6:00 PM NSCS GARAGE OPEN

Friday, May 8
9:00 AM - 9:00 PM NSCS GARAGE OPEN
10:00 AM NSCS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
11:00 AM - 12:25 PM NSCS PRACTICE
1:30 - 2:25 PM NSCS FINAL PRACTICE
2:30 PM NSCS QUALIFYING INSPECTION BEGINS
5:45 PM NSCS QUALIFYING

Saturday, May 9
12:30 PM NSCS GARAGE OPENS
4:30 PM NSCS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING
6:00 PM NSCS DRIVERS INTRODUCTIONS
6:30 PM NSCS RACE

NSCS = Sprint Cup Series
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
All event schedule times above are listed in LOCAL track time

PRACTICE & QUALIFYING Dates / Times / TV coverage

(these times in eastern time)

Practices:
Friday, May 8, 12:00 - 1:25 pm/et, TV-FS1
Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, May 8, 2:30 - 3:25 pm/et, TV-FS1
Qualifying: group qualifying for positions 1-36, Friday, May 8 at 6:45 pm/et, TV-FS1, re-air scheduled for Saturday, May 9 at 11:00am/et on FS1.

Track Specifications:
Track/Race Length: 1.5-mile D-shaped oval, 267 laps, 400.5 miles
Banking in turns...variable (17-20 degrees); previous banking: 15 degrees
Banking on front stretch... 10 degrees; previous banking: 10.4 degrees
Banking on back stretch... 5.5 degrees; previous banking: 5 degrees
Straights: front stretch - 2,721 feet; Backstretch - 2,207 feet
Asphalt surface is 55-feet wide
Pit Box Size 30'x18', 44 individual pit stalls
Pit Road: 1,573 feet long, 60-feet wide
Attendance: 81,779, 68 luxury suites
Seating: approx. 74,000 in the grandstands
Camping: approx. 2,400 spaces
Repaved & Reconfigured: Summer 2012
Opened: 2001

Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: TBA
Command to start engines: TBA
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: TBA
Honorary Pace Car Driver: TBA
Color Guard: TBA
Invocation: TBA
National Anthem: TBA
Flyover: TBA

TIRE NOTES & FACTS

Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials
Set limits: Sprint Cup:
5 sets for practice/qualifying and 10 sets for the race;
Camping World Truck: 5 sets for the event
Tire Codes:
Left-side -- D-4604; Right-side -- D-4630
Tire Circumference:
Left-side -- 87.60 in. (2,225 mm);
Right-side -- 88.39 in. (2,245 mm)
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 Camping World Truck Series will run the same combination of left- and right-side tires at Kansas this weekend . . . while these teams ran this left-side tire code (D-4604) at this track last season, this is the first time they have run this right-side code (D-4630) at Kansas . . . for Sprint Cup teams, compared to what they ran in at Kansas in 2014, this right-side tire features a construction change that brings it into line with what is run at other speedways . . . Cup teams have run this right-side at both Las Vegas and Talladega already this season . . . for Camping World Truck teams, who ran their own right-side at Kansas last May, this tire features both a construction and slight compound change . . . as on all NASCAR ovals greater than one mile in length, teams are required to run inner liners in all four tire positions at Kansas . . . air pressure in those inner liners should be 12-25 psi greater than that of the outer tire.

RCR implementing safety changes for its pit crews: Richard Childress Racing is requiring all its over-the-wall pit crew members to wear fire-protective head socks and is looking at potential changes to both helmets and eyewear after pit fires at Richmond International Raceway and Talladega Superspeedway, the team confirmed to NASCAR Talk. Two crew members from Brendan Gaughan's Xfinity team were injured in a pit fire April 24 at Richmond. A small fire broke out during one of Ryan Newman's pit stops in last weekend's Sprint Cup race at Talladega Superspeedway. No one was injured. An RCR spokesperson emailed a statement to NASCAR Talk about the team's plans for its pit crews.
"RCR has always preached safety with our crew members and after the Richmond pit road incident, we reviewed our internal policies and procedures to determine what further changes were warranted," team spokesperson Tim Packman wrote in an email. "From that, we were able to make necessary changes to help prevent that from happening again as we had a mechanical failure on one of the gas cans at Richmond, which led to the large amount of fuel being spilled. This was not related to the #31 incident at Talladega. As of right now, we are requiring all over-the-wall crew members to wear full head socks. We are also looking at potential changes to both helmets and eyewear, but those discussions are ongoing. Some of the crew members were already using full helmets this past weekend."
NASCAR requires only the gas man wear a fire-protective head sock (along with uniform, shoes, full-face helmet, gloves, fueler apron and head sock or helmet skirt). NASCAR requires over-the-wall pit crew members to have a uniform, shoes and helmet. Gloves, a head sock or helmet skirt, underwear and socks are recommended.(NBC Sports)(5-7-2015)

Penalties against Newman's team upheld: Today the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer, Mr. Bryan Moss, heard and considered the appeal of a P5 penalty issued on March 31, 2015 to Richard Childress (owner), Ryan Newman (driver), Lucas Lambert (crew chief), James Bender (tire technician) and Philip Surgen (race engineer) relative to NASCAR Sprint Cup Series vehicle #31 at Auto Club Speedway. The penalty concerns the following sections in the 2015 NASCAR rule book:
12.1: Actions detrimental to stock car racing
20.16: Wheels and tires
A. Any device, modification, or procedure to the tire or wheel, including the valve stem hardware, that is used to release pressure, beyond normal pressure adjustments, from the tire and/or inner shield, will not be permitted.
20.16.2: Tires
F. Modifications to the tires, by treatment or any other means, will not be permitted.
12.5.3.5.2: Minimum P5 Penalty Options (includes all four points below):
A. Loss of 50 championship driver and owner points, regardless of whether the violation occurred during a Championship race or not
B. $75,000-$125,000 fine
C. Suspension for the next six series Championship Races, plus any non-championship races or special events which might occur during that time period, for the crew chief and any other team members as determined by NASCAR
D. Probation through the end of the calendar year for all suspended members, or for a six-month period following the issuance of the penalty notice if that period spans across two consecutive seasons
12.5.3.5.3: P5 Level infractions detected during post-race inspection:
If the infraction is detected during post-race inspection, then the following penalty elements will be added to those listed previously in this section:
A. Loss of an additional 25 Championship driver and owner points; regardless of whether it was a Championship Race or not
B. Loss of an additional $50,000
The original penalty assessed included a $125,000 ($75,000 plus $50,000) fine, six-race suspension and probation through Dec. 31 to Lambert; six-race suspension and probation through Dec. 31 to both Bender and Surgen; and the loss of 75 (50 plus 25) championship car owner and 75 (50 plus 25) championship driver points to both Childress and Newman.
On April 16, a three-person National Motorsports Appeals Panel heard the appeal and made the following decisions:
1. The Appellants violated the Rule or Rules set forth in the Penalty Notice and it is a P5 level violation.
2. The Panel amends the original Penalty levied by NASCAR because there is no written explanation of what constitutes a post-race inspection. Therefore the Penalty elements added under Section 12.5.3.5.3. are removed and the Penalty adjusted to:
-Loss of 50 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Car Owner points for Richard Childress.
-Loss of 50 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Driver points for Ryan Newman.
-$75,000 fine. Suspended for the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Races, plus any non-Championship Races or Special Events which might occur during that time period. Placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31 for crew chief Lucas Lambert.
- Suspended for the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Races, plus any non-Championship Races or Special Events which might occur during that time period. Placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31 for Tire Technician James Bender.
-Suspended for the next six NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship Races, plus any non-Championship Races or Special Events which might occur during that time period. Placed on NASCAR probation through Dec. 31 for Race Engineer Philip Surgen.
Upon hearing today's testimony, Bryan Moss, the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer, made the following decisions:
· Based on a preponderance of evidence, the Appellants violated the Rules.
· Based on a preponderance of evidence, the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer upholds the penalty as amended by the National Motorsports Appeals Panel.
The decision of the National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer is final and binding on all parties.(NASCAR)(5-6-2015)

Statement from Richard Childress: regarding final appeal ruling on the #31 Chevy team: "We do not agree with the final appeal ruling. We feel we had a compelling case and still fell we were in the right and the facts presented today would have proved that. We do appreciate the opportunity to be heard. We stand behind our suspended team members and look forward to their return. We will now move on and continue or goals of winning races and making the Chase for the Champion."(Richard Childress Racing)(5-6-2015)

Harvick feels Sprint Cup schedule is Stagnant: #4-Kevin Harvick, met with members of the media at Talladega Superspeedway and discussed his thoughts on the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule:
Q) THERE HAS BEEN A LOT MADE ABOUT DECLINING ATTENDANCE AND FAN SUPPORT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW NASCAR CAN GROW THE FAN BASE?
Harvick: "I mean the last three races that we went to last year were sold out. I don't know that is a 100 percent true statement. I think it just depends on where you go and what you do. Now, if you want to talk about growing the sport I believe that some venues need one race. I believe that the schedule needs to be mixed up. People like things that change they don't like stagnant things. In my opinion the most stagnant thing in our sport is our schedule and our venues that we go to. You can beat a dead horse as much as you want, but it doesn't come back to life. And sometimes you just have to change things up to keep the excitement and enthusiasm in the sport. I think our schedule is definitely the weak link along with some of the venues that we go to. That is my opinion."
Q) IF YOU WERE IN CHARGE WHAT THREE OR FOUR PLACES WOULD YOU ADD TO THE SCHEDULE?
Harvick: "I know the first place I would go is Iowa. I think that everybody wants to see more short tracks and more venues. I think road racing - we have a couple of road races on the schedule and most every team has two road race cars and spends a lot of money on their road race program. Adding a road race here or there would definitely be something that I would vote for just for the fact internationally road racing is very recognizable to race fans. Whether it be Formula 1 or any other form of racing there are not many ovals. You could take your pick on road courses, Montreal (Canada) does a great job, you could go to Laguna Seca (California), you could go anywhere in the world and race on a road course. There are lots of good venues. I would have to really think about the rest of the question. I have always been a fan of let's go to the banquet and roll the pills around of race tracks across the country and have a wild card race every year. Go to the Milwaukee (Wisconsin) Mile and really you could go to test these venues and see how the markets react. And see the reaction you get from the market, even if you only have 30 or 40 thousand people in the grandstands if you put on a good event for TV and do the things that it takes to have a unique event that is really what people want. They want unique things."(Team Chevy)(5-2-2015)
UPDATE: Despite Kevin Harvick's concerns about NASCAR's schedule becoming "stagnant," NASCAR executive vice president Steve O'Donnell said officials remain comfortable with the current calendar. "We're happy with the schedule we have," O'Donnell said Tuesday. "We certainly look at what's available to us, but the schedule we have in place, I think the tracks are doing a tremendous job of helping to promote the sport. We certainly have dialogue with Kevin and everyone's got an opinion on the schedule." O'Donnell said there were "so many factors" including weather and a track's position on the schedule, that made officials "comfortable" with the current calendar.(USA Today)(5-6-2015)

Manion replaces Blickensderfer as crew chief for Hornish UPDATE: In an effort to further the chemistry of the #9 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race team, Richard Petty Motorsports (RPM) announced Kevin Manion has been assigned as the crew chief of that team with driver Sam Hornish, Jr. Manion will begin his duties immediately and call the race this weekend at Kansas Speedway. Manion, a native of Boylston, Mass., is a championship-winning crew chief and was a part of leading Earnhardt-Ganassi Racing to wins at both the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 in 2010. Manion has five wins in the premier Sprint Cup Series and 15 wins in the NASCAR XFINITY Series. In addition, he has led his race teams to over 60 Top-10 and 25 Top-Five finishes in his Cup career. He also has 10 poles. Having success with different drivers with different racing backgrounds, Manion has led the sports best including Martin Truex, Jr. during his XFINITY and early Sprint Cup Series career. During his time with Truex, Jr., Manion earned two XFINITY Series championships. He then became a trusted leader to Jamie McMurray, leading him to four Sprint Cup Series wins. Manion is a respected crew chief in NASCAR and has the experience to get the #9 team in victory lane. Manion will begin his duties with RPM immedialty. Manion replaces Drew Blickensderfer who has been offered another position within the organization.(RPM)(5-5-2015)
UPDATE: In light of the recent departure of Kevin "Bono" Manion, Tommy Baldwin Racing has announced that team owner Tommy Baldwin will assume the role as crew chief of the #7 Chevy, for driver Alex Bowman. "I'm very happy for Bono; we've been friends a long time, and I wish him nothing but the best," said Baldwin. "Climbing atop the pit box is somewhat of a familiar role for me and I look forward to working with Alex." Baldwin, in his seventh year of a being a Sprint Cup Series team owner, is no stranger to the position - having numerous wins and a Daytona 500 championship in 2002. Baldwin's return will take effect immediately.(TBR)(5-5-2015)

One more I just found-TexasCajun

Ty Dillon in the #33 Plankton Chevy at Kansas: The SpongeBob SquarePants team just welcomed another of its friends to the field for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway on May 9, 2015, -- with NASCAR young star Ty Dillon set to drive the #33 Plankton Chevy SS. Dillon's #33 Chevy, campaigned by Circle Sport Racing, will feature Plankton, the show's pint-sized microbe with an evil plan... to steal the Krusty Krabs' secret Krabby Patty recipe! But Dillon has designs on stealing the coveted SpongeBob SquarePants 400 trophy instead. Dillon will be making his fourth career Sprint Cup Series start and his career debut at the 1.5-mile speedway. Dillon last drove in a Sprint Cup Series event at Daytona International Speedway earlier this season. The 23-year-old, Welcome, N.C.-native is currently the NASCAR XFINITY Series points leader in his second full-time season in the #3 Chevy Camaro.(Richard Childress Racing), see an image of the car on the #33 team paint schemes page.(5-5-2015)

Chase Elliott to compete in All-Star Showdown: Hendrick Motorsports already has four cars eligible for this year's Sprint All-Star Race. Chase Elliott hopes he can make it five. On Tuesday, Charlotte Motor Speedway announced during a media event that Elliott will drive the #25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevy SS in the Sprint Showdown with a chance to earn his way into the All-Star Race. "I couldn't be more excited about the opportunity to run the Showdown," Elliott said. "It allows me to gain more experience with my NAPA AUTO PARTS team before we race again at Charlotte a week later." Elliott's next points-paying race will take place on May 24 at Charlotte Motor Speedway - the weekend following the Sprint Showdown and All-Star Race. The Sprint Showdown consists of two 20-lap segments, and if he were to make the All-Star Race, this year's event is now 110 laps. "Those additional laps will be a tremendous benefit when it's time to run 600 miles," Elliott said.(Hendrick Motorsports)(5-5-2015)

NAPA Auto Parts will sponsor Elliott in the #24: NAPA Auto Parts will grow its relationship with 11-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports in 2016 when it becomes the majority sponsor of driver Chase Elliott and his #24 Chevy SS team. The news was announced Tuesday evening in Las Vegas during the NAPA EXPO, which is attended by more than 17,000 store owners, managers and dealers. The expanded partnership will feature NAPA AUTO PARTS as a primary sponsor of the #24 team in 24 Sprint Cup races annually, including the season-opening Daytona 500, and as an associate-level partner in all other events. The agreement covers the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons. NAPA was the full-season primary sponsor during Elliott's historic 2014 XFINITY Series campaign when he became NASCAR's youngest-ever national series champion while earning rookie of the year and most popular driver honors. In 2015, NAPA remains the sole primary sponsor for Elliott's second full NXS season with JR Motorsports along with the driver's Sprint Cup debut schedule, which includes five points-paying races with Hendrick Motorsports. It was announced in January that Elliott, 19, will join Hendrick Motorsports as a full-time Sprint Cup driver in 2016. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native currently is third in the 2015 NXS standings with seven top-10 finishes in nine races. In 51 combined NXS and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events, he has recorded four wins, 25 top-five finishes and 40 top-10s.Additional sponsorship for Elliott's 2016 Sprint Cup season will be announced at a later date.(Hendrick Motorsports)(5-6-2015)

Guy Fieri named Grand Marshal, Honorary Pace Car Driver for All-Star Race: Always a star-studded affair, the 2015 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race will have more celebrity star power than ever as Charlotte Motor Speedway officials announced that TV personality and food icon Guy Fieri will serve as the Grand Marshal and Honorary Pace Car driver for the biggest all-star event in sports on May 16. The dynamic chef, restauranteur and author is best known for his hit Food Network TV shows "Diners, Drive-ins and Dives" and "Guy's Big Bite," as well as his appearances as a judge on "Next Food Network Star." Fieri will bring his larger-than-life personality and his signature blonde hair to the 30th anniversary of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race to give the command to fire engines before jumping behind the wheel of the official Charlotte Motor Speedway Toyota Camry pace car to lead the field to green. The $99 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race weekend pass includes frontstretch tickets for the N.C. Education LotteryCamping World Truck Series race and Sprint Showdown on Friday, May 15; plus the no-speed-limit NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race qualifying, a rocking pre-race concert with country mega-group Little Big Town, presented by Rayovac, and capped off with a blockbuster shootout for $1 million at the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 16.(CMS)(5-7-2015)

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PRACTICE & QUALIFYINGDates / Times / TV coverage

PRACTICE & QUALIFYING
Dates / Times / TV coverage