(Press Release from New Hampshire Motor Speedway)
Jamie McMurray celebrates victory in the Sprint All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2014 (Photo: Courtesy New Hampshire Motor Speedway)
**UPCOMING NHMS EVENTS**
Logano Ready to Celebrate 25th Birthday with NHMS
Three days after celebrating his 25th birthday, 2015 Daytona 500 champion Joey Logano will help New Hampshire Motor Speedway celebrate a quarter of a century of NASCAR racing with the ultimate birthday bash. A native of Middletown, Conn., Logano will be the guest of honor on Wednesday, May 27, as the reigning September Magic Mile race winner parties with fans and special guests in the Radisson Ballroom in Nashua, N.H. Logano’s visit to the Granite State comes weeks before NASCAR returns to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the New Hampshire 301 on July 19.
TRU-SPEC, NHMS Team Up to Honor First Responders, Military
In the spirit of honoring our country’s first responders and military members, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and TRU-SPEC have teamed up for a special ticket offer to attend this summer’s New Hampshire 301 and SYLVANIA 300 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Available to police, fire, EMT and military, any aforementioned personnel that show their valid ID will receive a 30 percent discount on the seats of their choosing to the New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 19 or the SYLVANIA 300 on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Harvick to Attend ‘Champions Breakfast’
Reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick will make an appearance at the Speedway Children’s Charities “Champions Breakfast” on the morning of Friday, July 17 to kickoff NASCAR race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Emceed by NBC Host Krista Voda, the breakfast will run from 8-10 a.m. in the hospitality area behind the main grandstands, where Harvick will answer questions from retired veteran pit road reporter Dick Berggren, who currently sits on the SCC Board and is president of the North East Motor Sports Museum project.
Edwards to Visit Magic Mile Club on July 13 Race Morning
Located in the infield just behind pit road, the Magic Mile Club is offering fans the opportunity to see Carl Edwards before he suits up and climbs behind the wheel of his No. 19 Arris Toyota prior to the green flag for the July 13 Camping World RV Sales 301. Hamlin’s appearance will include a 15-minute pit stop to answer questions from fans beginning at 9:40 a.m.
On the track this week …
Celebrating its 25th anniversary as the largest sports and entertainment facility in New England, the Magic Mile is at full speed as this week the speedway will host:
· 5/16 Club Loose
· 5/16 BMW Boston
· 5/16 Moat Mountain Road Course Series (Legends)
· 5/16 Loudon Road Race Series (Motorcycles)
· 5/16 ProWraps Bandolero Series
· 5/16 Sign Works Oval Series (Legends)
· 5/17 Moat Mountain Road Course Series
**NATIONAL STORYLINES**
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will hold its annual All-Star Race on Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway:
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Next Race: Sprint Showdown
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Date: Friday, May 15
The Time: 7 p.m.
TV: FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m.
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
Distance: 20 laps / 20 laps
Next Race: NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
The Place: Charlotte Motor Speedway
The Date: Saturday, May 16
The Time: 7 p.m.
TV: FOX Sports 1, 7 p.m.
Radio: MRN, Sirius XM Ch. 90
Distance: 25 laps / 25 laps / 25 laps / 25 laps / 10 laps
Key stats from last week at Kansas Speedway
Winner: Jimmie Johnson
Margin of Victory: 0.487 seconds
Cautions: 9 for 49 laps
Lead Changes: 16 among 10 drivers
Most Laps Led: Martin Truex Jr. 95 of 267
Top 16 Driver Points: 1.Johnson 389 (3 wins); 2. Harvick 437 (2);
3. Logano 375 (1); 4. Earnhardt Jr. 360 (1); 5. Keselowski 343 (1);
6. Kenseth 331 (1); 7. Hamlin 284 (1); 8. Truex Jr. 391 (0);
9. J. McMurray 328 (0); 10. Gordon 317 (0); 11. Kahne 313 (0);
12. Almirola 312 (0); 13. Menard 306 (0); 14. Newman 305 (0);
15.Bowyer 272 (0); 16. Patrick 270 (0)
Johnson’s Late-Race Heroics Help Him Pick Up Series-Best Third Win
Late Saturday night, Paul Pierce threw up a shot at the buzzer.
He called “Game,” banking it in from the left elbow to break a 101-101 tie, giving the Washington Wizards an NBA playoff victory.
In the early hours Sunday morning, a NASCAR driver with same-letter initials followed suit.
Jimmie Johnson – already virtually locked into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and interested in nothing but a win – decided to stay on the track while the leaders pitted under caution with 10 laps left in the SpongeBob SquarePants 400 at Kansas Speedway. He led the field to green and held off defending NSCS champion Kevin Harvick for his series-best third victory of the season.
Johnson now has nine bonus points for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Challenger 16 Round (three per victory). In his last five races, he has finished first, second, third, second and first, respectively – good for an average finish of 1.8.
The six-time series champion currently occupies the third spot in the driver standings – 48 points behind Harvick – and claims Harvick is still the driver to beat.
“I still think he’s the car to beat right now,” Johnson said. “I mean, he qualifies better than we do. We’re finding ways to win races, but I just think that they have a bit more control of their own destiny right now.”
Harvick Continues Torrid Run, Ties Hall Of Famer For Top-Two Mark
Eleven races into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Kevin Harvick already has eight top-two finishes.
No driver has had more top twos through the first 11 races of a season. The only other driver to record eight top twos through the first 11 races was NASCAR Hall of Famer Cale Yarborough in 1977.
Harvick has built up a 46-point lead over Martin Truex Jr. in the point standings. The defending NSCS champion claims two wins and leads the series in average finish (6.2), average running position (5.7) and driver rating (126.7). His 574 fastest laps run are more than double than the total of the next-best competitor (Jimmie Johnson, 201).
He’s Back: Rowdy Returns For Sprint All-Star Race
“I’m back. #Rowdy Returns,” Kyle Busch tweeted Tuesday morning, confirming he would participate in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race after missing the first 11 races of the season due to injuries suffered from a crash in the Daytona NASCAR XFINITY Series race.
The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver also posted a video of himself – strapping into his firesuit and exiting a hauler – with the closing message “#RowdyReturns May 16.”
Of the drivers currently eligible for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, Busch has the most starts in the event without a win (nine). Despite never winning the all-star race, Busch’s 212 laps led in the contest are second-most among active drivers, only trailing Jimmie Johnson’s 219. In fact, Busch leads active drivers with a 108.1 driver rating in the all-star race. His top finish in the event was a runner-up showing in 2011.
In Busch’s absence, Matt Crafton (one start), David Ragan (nine) and Erik Jones (one) have piloted his Toyota Camry. The Joe Gibbs Racing car ranks 23rd in the NSCS owner standings.
Jeff Gordon Making Final Sprint All-Star Race Start
“Star light, star bright,” Jeff Gordon hopes to win Saturday night when he makes the final NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race start of his career. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver owns three all-star race victories, tied with Dale Earnhardt for the second-most in history. Jimmie Johnson claims the all-time mark with four victories.
A four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Gordon has captured the title in the three seasons he’s won the All-Star race (1995, 1997, 2001).
Mega Star: Johnson Tries To Increase All-Star Wins Record
Jimmie Johnson does something in NASCAR’s all-star event that athlete’s in most other sports don’t.
He shows up.
In 13 Sprint All-Star race starts, Johnson owns a record four wins. He also ranks first among active drivers in average finish (6.2), average running position (6.9), number of fastest laps led (219).
Don’t Forget To Cast Your Ballot In The Sprint Fan Vote
There are roughly 18 months left to vote in the 2016 presidential election.
There are only three days left to cast your ballot in the next-most ballyhooed election – The Sprint Fan Vote.
The winning driver gets to compete in Saturday’s night’s Sprint All-Star Race. Some notables on the ballot include: Clint Bowyer, Danica Patrick, David Ragan, Greg Biffle, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Larson. Last year’s winner was Josh Wise. The only driver to visit Victory Lane after getting voted into the All-Star Race was Kasey Kahne in 2008.
A favorite isn’t always the winner – as the Sprint Fan Vote’s history suggests. In the last 10 seasons, fans have voted 10 different drivers into the Sprint All-Star Race.
Voting closes at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, one day before the green flag.
McMurray Attempts To Become All-Star Race’s 7th Multi-Time Winner
As one would imagine, the list of multi-time Sprint All-Star race winners contains some of the greatest drivers to ever wheel a car around an oval: Jimmie Johnson (4), Dale Earnhardt (3), Jeff Gordon (3), Davey Allison (2), Terry Labonte (2) and Mark Martin (2).
Jamie McMurray will attempt to etch his name on that list in Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race as the defending event winner. He led 31 laps and outdueled Carl Edwards to take the $1 million-prize in last year’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race. The other drivers in the field who have won at least one all-star race are Gordon, Johnson, Edwards, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart and Kurt Busch. Johnson (2012-13) and Allison (1991-92) are the only drivers to win consecutive all-star races.
Truex, Elliott Headline Sprint Showdown Participants
Drivers who have not qualified for the Sprint All-Star Race have one final chance to get into the drive for $1 million by winning one of two segments in Friday’s Sprint Showdown (7 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1).
Occupying the second spot in the standings after racking up 10 top-10 finishes in the first 11 races of the season, Martin Truex Jr. is seemingly the driver to beat. Truex previously won the Sprint Showdown in 2010 and will be challenged by other past Showdown winners Clint Bowyer (2014), David Ragan (2011) and Sam Hornish Jr. (2009).
Defending NASCAR XFINITY Series champion Chase Elliott is slated to race in the Sprint Showdown as well.
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