1 Kentucky Speedway Pit Notes Thursday, June 27, 2013 The first day of the busiest weekend of the 2013 season at The Kentucky Speedway opened under cloudy skies, a light breeze, an air temperature of 77 with a relative humidity of 81 percent. There is a 30- percent chance of rain on both Thursday and Friday. Severe thunderstorms that brought heavy rain and high winds hit The Kentucky Speedway late in the afternoon on Wednesday, leaving the track very wet at the start of the day on Thursday. After a short delay, the NASCAR Camping World Truck series drivers took to the track at 10:46 a.m. for a 60-minute practice session in preparation for qualifying for Thursday night s NCWTS UNOH 225. It was expected that 36 trucks would take part in the practice. Traffic was light on the track in the first 20 minutes of the practice but picked up late in the session. Thirty-two trucks took part in the session, turning as many as 35 laps on the mile-and-a-half tri-oval. 54 DARRELL WALLACE, JR. (Camping World/Good Sam Toyota) needed just four laps to turn in the fastest lap of the session, a 30.927 times good for 174.605 mph. 32 MIGUEL PALUDO (AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet) was second at 30.952 (174.458 mph) with 4 JEB BURTON (Arrowhead Chevrolet) in third at 30.970 (174.362 mph). 5 TIM GEORGE, Jr. (Applebee s Chevrolet) was on the track the longest during the session, taking 35 practice laps with a best effort of 31.907 (169.242 mph). At the other end of the spectrum, 75 CLAY GREENFIELD (Chevrolet) and 57 NORM BENNING (Stone Mountain Guns & Gold Chevrolet) completed just one lap during the practice. After a 30-minute break, the trucks were back on the track at 12:00 noon for the 90-minute Final Practice before the scheduled 5:00 p.m. qualifying for the race. After having three trucks surpass the 174 mark in the first practice, speeds were slightly down in the Final Practice as just one truck turned a 174 mph lap in the first 60 minutes of the session, a 174.486 mph effort by 4 JEB BURTON (Arrowhead Chevrolet).
2 Practice speeds picked up over the last 15 minutes as teams dialed in on the proper set ups. 30 CALE GALE (Rheem Chevrolet), who could only manage a 171.510 mph lap in the first practice, took over the practice lead with a 174.961 mph effort, the fastest of the day. 17 TIMOTHY PETERS (Tire Discounter s/valvoline NextGen Toyota) had a similar jump, going from a 170.250 mph lap in the morning session to a 174.509 mph lap in the afternoon, the second-fastest of the session. Practice concluded on schedule at 1:30 p.m. with 35 trucks having taken part in the practice. 30 CALE GALE (Rheem Chevrolet) had the fastest time, a 30.864-second effort (174.96mph), the fastest of the day. 17 TIMOTHY PETERS (Tire Discounter s/valvoline NextGen Toyota) was second at 30.944 (170.250 mph) while 4 JEB BURTON (Arrowhead Chevrolet) was third at 30.948 (174.486 mph). 17 TIMOTHY PETERS (Tire Discounter s/valvoline NextGen Toyota) had a similar jump, going from a 170.250 mph. 5 TIM GEORGE, Jr. (Applebee s Chevrolet) ran another 35 laps to repeat as the driver on the track the longest while 0 CHRIS LAFFERTY (Driven2Honor.org Ford) completed just one practice lap. In addition to the three drivers that broke 174 mph during the practice, five more drivers surpassed the 173 mph mark and a total of 20 drivers topped 172 mph. That is a considerable improvement from the first practice that saw three drivers top 174, five more surpass 173 mph and only 11 total drivers topple the 172 mph plateau.
3 Qualifying for Thursday night s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race began on schedule at 5:05 p.m. Thirty-six trucks were expected to make the two qualifying laps around the mile-and-a-half tri-oval to determine the starting grid. The track qualifying record is 30.022 (179.868 mph) by AUSTIN DILLON in 2011. It is one of six winning qualifying speeds that have been in excess of 174,mph. 0 CHRIS LAFFERTY (Driven2Honor.org Ford), scheduled first on the track, did not make a qualifying run. 75 CLAY GREENFIELD (Chevrolet) was the first truck to post a time, taking over the pole lead with a 34.552 effort (156.286 mph). 07 TODD PECK (Arthirtis.org Chevrolet), the third truck in qualifying, took over the pole lead with a 34.024 effort (158.711 mph). 84 DANNY EFLAND (Advanced Electcronics Services Chevrolet), the seventh truck in qualifying, took over the pole lead with a 33.329 lap (162.021 mph). EFLAND s time on the pole was short as 81 CJ FAISON (Toyota), the eighth truck on the track, posted a 32.148 lap (167.973 mph), to better the mark by more than five miles per hour. 99 BRYAN SILAS (Bell Trucks America Inc./Rockingham Speedway Chevrolet) made it three straight changes at the top when he turned a 31.998 lap (168.761 mph) to take over the pole lead. 9 RON HORNADAY, Jr., a three-time NWCTS Series winner at the Kentucky Speedway, became the sixth driver to take over the pole when he posted a 31.496 lap (171.450 mph).
4 The first on-track mishap of the weekend came when 13 BRETT MOFFITT (AISIN Toyota), the 17 th truck on the course, spun coming out of Turn 2 on his first lap and made contact with the wall along the back stretch and suffered significant damage to the left side of the truck. MOFFITT was able to get off the track under his own power. MOFFITT was unable to post a qualifying time. Everyone s done this. It sucks that you have to learn the hard way but you have to get together and move on, MOFFITT told television after the incident. 27 JEFF AGNEW (West Virginia Coal Association Chevrolet), the 19 th truck on the track, took over the lead with a 31.482 effort (171.527 mph). 88 MATT CRAFTON (IdealDoor/Menards Toyota), the 20 th truck on the track, became the first driver in the qualifying session to hit the 173 mph mark when he posted a 31.119 time on his second lap (173.527 mph). 62 BRENDAN GAUGHAN (South Point Chevrolet), the 24 th truck on the track, took over the pole lead with a 30.924 lap (174.622 mph). 3 TY DILLON (Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) made a great save when he started to spin coming out of Turn 2. DILLON was able to correct in time to avoid making contact with the wall. 29 RYAN BLANEY (Cooper Standard Ford), the 27 th truck on the track, became the first driver to surpass the 175 mph mark, posting a 30.829 lap (175.160 mph). 7 JOHN WES TOWNLEY (Zaxby s Toyota), the 28 th truck to attempt to qualify, moved into second place with a 30.922 lap (174.633 mph). 18 JOEY COULTER (Darrell Gwynn Foundation Toyota), the 30 th truck on the track, moved into fourth place with a 30.971 lap (174.357 mph).
5 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. (Camping World/Good Sam Toyota), the 35 th truck on the track, just missed the lead on his first lap, settling for second with a 30.844 lap (175.075 mph). Qualifying ended at 6:02 p.m. with 36 trucks taking to the track to attempt to qualify. The qualifying effort of 29 RYAN BLANEY (Cooper Standard Ford) held up down the stretch to claim the pole for Thursday night s NASCAR Camping Work Truck Series UNOH 225. The 30.829 lap (175.160 mph) was the sixth-highest winning qualifying time in a NCWTS event at The Kentucky Speedway. 29 RYAN BLANEY (Cooper Standard Ford) becomes the 14 th different driver in 15 NCWTS events at The Kentucky Speedway to win a qualifying session and will be the 15 th different driver in 16 events to start on the pole. Only AUSTIN DILLON started twice on the pole, doing so in both Sept. 2010 and Oct. 2011. Qualifying for the 2004 race was rained out with DENNIS SETZER starting on the pole based on owner s points. The top 5 qualifiers were: 1. 29 RYAN BLANEY (COOPER STANDARD FORD) 30.829/175.160 mph 2. 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. (Camping World/Good Sam Toyota) 30.844/175.075 3. 7 JOHN WES TOWNLEY (Zaxby s Toyota) 30.922/174.633 4. 62 BRENDAN GAUGHAN (South Point Chevrolet) 30.924/174.622 5. 18 JOEY COULTER (Darrell Gwynn Foundation Toyota) 30.971/174/.357 29 RYAN BLANEY: "It's definitely going to be a tire management race (tonight). These tires tend to wear out pretty bad, especially how rough and abrasive this race track is. It's definitely going to be one of those 'who can be fast' as the tires wear out. Hopefully we can have a good solid race tonight and bring it home in one piece and start gaining points on the leader." On Winning The Pole: "It's very cool, like I said before, getting the fastest lap, it makes you feel good that you went as fast as you could go and you were the fastest one in qualifying. I think it is really cool to have my dad and Brad (Kesolowski) come up to me and say good job. Definitely a cool thing, but you don't get a trophy for the pole."
6 Quotes from the Press Conference With KYLE BUSCH: Talk about racing a tripleheader and being the winner of the inaugural Sprint Cup Series event at Kentucky Speedway: We re certainly optimistic about our chances. It s exciting to come here. It s not quite as busy as the last tripleheader I ran here. That time, I raced for 12 hours and was pretty dehydrated. I am looking forward to the opportunity that this track presents. This place has been pretty good for me lately. I m looking forward to continuing the trend this weekend. Talk about how the track have changed since last year: I think they are somewhat the same. It depends on the setup in your vehicle. You have to find a balance between speed and handling to work on. It s a trade back and forth. I don t perceive any bumps being worse than last year. (The track) is the same. Were you upset after your performance last week at Sonoma? Really upset. It s pretty self explanatory. I read on your Twitter feed that you were talking about Nationwide creating a Busch Rule to limit entries at some point. Do you feel you could compete in the Nationwide series running your own equipment? I tried it last year with my own team. I felt like I made gains last year. My worst race was a 10th at Montreal. I was wrecked three times at Montreal. We ran competitive. We never got a win. At Homestead, I missed an opportunity at winning. At Chicago, I led a lot of laps and Ricky Stenhouse made a late change and won. At Kansas, I was leading 300-mile race to checkered (flag). It ended up being a 314-mile race and we were short on fuel. No doubt, we didn t have good enough stuff to win. I don t mind racing my own stuff. It would be fine. Does racing Nationwide help because of momentum, rhythm or is it in your head? I like to run laps. I like getting on the track and racing as much as I can. It s like practice. I take advantage of that. Why other guys like Jeff Gordon or Jimmie Johnson don t do that, I don t know. Maybe they re not as successful. I don t know. I like racing. Tell me how last year went for me in Cup (racing) and I beg to differ that Nationwide (competition) doesn t help me. Why does Kentucky Speedway fit your style? We re here for all three (races). We have sponsors for all three (races). I like Kentucky (Speedway). It s challenging. It brings out better drivers. You ve got to have a good handling car. You can de-tune a car to slow it down to get over bumps, but that doesn t really help me.
7 KYLE BUSCH (Cont.) Are you going to be racing late models against Matt Kenseth? As headliners, do you cut your JGR teammate slack? At short-track events, I hate Matt Kenseth. He cheated at Slinger (Miller Lite Nationals) last year, I m not going there. The Hometown hero gets favorites. If that had been me at my home track, I would have been disqualified three times. We re going to the Milwaukee Mile (ARCA Midwest Tour s Swiss Colony Howie Lettow Memorial 150, July 8-9). It s going to be fun. I ran in 2008. A lot of cars showed up and it was fun. It allows a bunch of cars to go to that race. I think it s 80 cars trying for 43 spots. It s a big track. Guys like going to Milwaukee. It s easy to get out of shape there. A lot of guys like going to that race. There are going to be a lot of 15-year olds in the race. It s going to be fun to see. Talk about teammate Denny Hamlin. Last week, he said the No. 11 team was behind your team. Is it too much of uphill battle for Hamlin to get into Chase? When he came back, he did fine. We all expected everything was normal. Tracks like Michigan, I haven t run well since it was repaved, but Matt (Kenseth) has. Last week, at Sonoma, it was a crapshoot; anyone s race. I thought we had a fourth- or fifth-place car and we finished 35th with it. Denny is back in his seat. They are throwing Hail Mary(s) at everything. Nothing against those guys they throw different setups in car they are different from Matt and me. Talk about fine tuning what you do to stay fresh on tripleheader weekends: It essentially starts throughout the week. You ve got to stay hydrated. It s about trying to keep the right amount of fluids in you, so you don t get drained. Years ago, I was tired after I first ran a race 300 miles in Nationwide. After running 500 miles, I was worn out. The more you do it, the more you get used to it. Now, I can run a 500-mile race and feel fine. After the tripleheader, like Bristol or Dover and feel fine. At Dover, I felt the worst after truck race. The body gets used to being repetitive. You get used to it.
8 Quotes from the Press Conference With BRAD KESELOWSKI: On the mindset of running 3 races this weekend: This is a key time not only for my team but all the teams. There are only a few that are considered locked into the chase. Realistically with 2 or 3 wins, that s a pretty good spot. We don t have those. But we have had solid runs where we have been close to winning. We have had a lot of would of, could of, should ofs, but those don t account for anything. So now is our time to really shine, thankfully, if you look at the traditions of my team s, if you can say there is one, over the last two seasons is that we really hit our mark about this time in the season. I don t think that is coincidence. I think Kentucky Speedway really fits my style. There is a couple really unique characteristics about it. That s why I picked this race, this weekend, to run all three. I felt like here and Bristol are two of my best tracks and we need to capitalize on that, certainly on the Cup side, have another strong run and hopefully come away with a race win, which I believe we have a very strong shot at. I d love to do that in the other two series as well. The Discount Tire car in the Nationwide Series, and the Ford truck for my own team. This would be a great weekend to do that for a lot of reasons. There is no coincidence that I picked this weekend to get it started. Last year we won at the Cup level and finished second at the truck level, I can t remember where we finished in the nationwide car. We have had strong performances here in the past and I think we can get it done. What are the aspects you like at Kentucky Speedway? I can t tell you that. That s like asking for the secret ingredient. That s like going into Wonka s place and asking him how he made the gum. One of the things I like about Kentucky, is that it is one of the few tracks that I have always felt heads up to the field. To elaborate on that, this is my fourth full year in Sprint Cup, and in some ways it feels like I have been here forever and in some it feels like I haven t. When you go to tracks like Texas and Atlanta, I always feel like I am one little step behind. At Kentucky, there is no other driver that has more experience here than me, where I am on even footing on the way. In fact I feel I might be slightly up because of all my Nationwide starts and so forth.
9 NOTES ON LOUISVILLE S RUSS SMITH: While Louisville Cardinals basketball player Russ Smith has gained a new appreciation for auto racing at Kentucky Speedway, don't expect him to trade in his gym shoes for driving shoes anytime soon. I got my license on April 19th, actually my birthday, I think, but I've had a permit since I was 16, off and on, and you know the out-of-state thing. I don't like fast cars. I don't drive fast cars. I like to watch other people drive fast cars, but I drive in SUVs or vans. Oh man, these cars are something else," Smith, 22, who hails from Brooklyn, said. Smith was on hand Thursday for the unveiling of Brian Vickers' special University of Louisville Cardinals-themed paint job on the Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota, in honor of the school's 2012-'13 NCAA National Championship winning men's basketball team. The red and white no. 55 stock car will run in Saturday's Quaker State 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. "I have to root for Brian and (team owner) Michael Waltrip now. I have to know a bit more about them," Smith said, "But before that, the only guy I really knew about was Jeff Gordon and the Pepsi commercial he did. That was really cool. "How fast he was going, I don't know. I might've had to open the door to get him to stop, if I was in that commercial. He was going way too fast." Smith, a 6-foot, 165 pound guard, was the Cardinals' leading scorer during their championship season, averaging 18.7 points and 2.1 steals per game. He was named to the Associated Press third-team All-American team. Louisville coach Rick Pitino recently named Smith and teammate Luke Hancock as co-captains for the 2013-'14 team.
10 After a 30-minute break, the NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers took to the track for the first time this week, taking part in a 55-minute practice session to prepare for Friday night s Feed The Children 300, the 12 th series event held at the Kentucky Speedway. Forty-two cars were expected to take part in the session. Speeds were low on the track for the early part of the practice session as only four of the 40 cars that were on the track in the first 30 minutes posted laps of 171 mph or better. At the 30-minute mark, 22 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Discount Tire Ford) owned the fastest lap at 171.745 mph while 33 MATT CRAFTON (Menards/Rheem Chevrolet) was second with a 171.502 effort. 7 REGAN SMITH (Hellmann s Centennial Chevrolet) was third at 171.233 mph with 3 AUSTIN DILLON (AdvoCare Chevrolet) fourth with a 171.021 mph lap. At the 40-minute mark, 12 SAM HORNISH, Jr. (Penske Truck Racing Ford) took over the practice lead when he edged KESELOWSKI with a 171.854 mph lap. The final minutes of the practice saw 33 MATT CRAFTON (Menards/Rheem Chevrolet) take over the lead with a 172.750 mph effort. CRAFTON was the only driver to break the 172 mph mark in the session. The practice ended on schedule at 7:25 p.m. Forty cars took part in the practice. 54 KYLE BUSCH (Monster Energy Toyota), 77 PARKER KLIGERMAN (Camp Horsin Around Toyota) and 99 ALEX BOWMAN (St. Jude Children s Research Hospital Toyota) shared the honor of being on the track the longest, each turning 28 practice laps. At the other end of the spectrum, 42 JOSH WISE (Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet) was on the track for just one lap.
11 Pre-race festivities for Thursday night s NASCAR Camping World Series UNOH 225 began on schedule at 7:35 p.m. leading up to the start at approximately 8:20 p.m. The race is being televised nationally on SPEED. The 36-truck field for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225, the 15th edition of a NASCAR Camping World Truck series race at The Kentucky Speedway, was determined by the results of the two-lap qualifying session held earlier in the afternoon. 29 RYAN BLANEY (Cooper Standard Ford) became the 14 th different driver (in 16 series events at The Kentucky Speedway) to start on the pole after winning qualifying with a 30.829 second lap (175.160 mph). 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. (Camping World/Good Sam Toyota) was second at 30.844 (175.075 mph). Doing something more than once has proven difficult for the NCWTS drivers at The Kentucky Speedway. Not only have 14 different drivers started on the pole (in 15 events), but only one driver has won more than one event here. 9 RON HORNADAY, JR., who will be starting 15 th tonight, has won three times, 31 JAMES BUESCHER, who is starting 13 th has won twice while 10 other drivers have each claimed one race. HORNADAY is not only the only pole-sitter to win the race, but he has the distinction of being the driver to start lowest in the field and come back to win, winning the 2006 race after starting 22 nd. With the NCWTS events featuring 12 different winners and 15 different pole-sitters over the years at The Kentucky Speedway, you can take things one step further as only three drivers have done both. 9 RON HORNADAY, JR. has won three times, including once from his only start on the pole in 2009. MIKE SKINNER won the race in 2007 and started on the pole the following year (finishing 7 th ) and 93 DENNIS SETZER claimed the 2005 event and started the 2004 race on the pole, though the pole was determined by points when rain washed out qualifying. That means, 24 different drivers have either won a race or started one on the pole in a NCWTS event at The Kentucky Speedway. Starting on the pole at Kentucky has not necessarily been a good thing in a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event. Not only has just one driver won from the pole, but the starter on the pole has only finished in the top five in nine of the 15 races. In July 2011, 13 JOHNNY SAUTER started on the pole but finished 24 th, the lowest finish by a pole-sitter at the Kentucky Speedway. 9 RON HORNADAY, JR. is the only pole-sitter to take the checkered flag, doing so in 2009. In the other 14 races, the pole-sitter has finished second once, third once, fourth four times, fifth twice, seventh, ninth, 11th, 19 th, 22 nd and 24 th.
12 You probably won t need to look too far down the starting grid to find the eventual winner of tonight s race, especially considering that only five times in the first 15 series races at the Kentucky Speedway has a driver outside the third row come back to win the race. RON HORNADAY, JR won after starting 22nd in 2006 and DENNIS SETZER claimed the checkered flag after starting 18th in 2005. In 2010, 30 TODD BODINE started 14th and fought back to win the race. In July of 2011, KYLE BUSCH qualified eighth but was forced to move to the back of the pack for missing the pre-race meeting but came back to claim the checkered flag. Last September, JAMES BUESCHER won his second straight series event after starting eighth The other eight winners have started first (once), second (twice), third (twice), fourth (twice) and once from fifth. Weather conditions at the start of the race featured mostly cloudy skies, an air temperature of 85 degrees, a track temperature of 100 degrees, a relative humidity of 70% and no measurable wind. Two trucks were sent to the back of the field by NASCAR. 13 BRETT MOFFITT (AISIN Toyota), who was slated to start 34 th, will start 36 th after switching to a backup car following a mishap during qualifying. 93 RYAN SIEG (Pull-A-Part LLC Chevrolet), who was schedule to start 24 th, moves to 35 th for making unapproved adjustments after qualifying. The race began on time at 8:19 p.m. with all 36 trucks on the track for the start. A nation wide audience was viewing the race on SPEED 29 RYAN BLANEY (COOPER STANDARD FORD) got a great start and held off 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. (Camping World/Good Sam Toyota) to lead the first lap (0f 150) of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 225. WALLACE was second, followed by 7 JOHN WES TOWNLEY (Zaxby s Toyota) in third, 51 KYLE BUSCH (ToyotaCare Toyota) in fourth, 62 BRENDAN GAUGHAN (South Point Chevrolet) in fifth, 88 MATT CRAFTON (IdealDoor/Menards Toyota) in sixth, 17 TIMOTHY PETERS (Tire Discounters/Valvoline NextGen Toyota) in seventh, 77 GERMAN QUIROGA (Otter Box Toyota) in eighth, 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Reese Ford) in ninth and 32 MIGUEL PALUDO (AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet) in 10 th. 35 of the 36 trucks were on the track. 29 RYAN BLANEY opened up a 1.322 second lead over 7 JOHN WES TOWNLEY after 10 laps (of 150). TOWNLEY was second, followed by 51 KYLE BUSCH in third, 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. in fourth and 17 TIMOTHY PETERS in fifth. 33 trucks were on the track with 32 on the lead lap.
13 29 RYAN BLANEY held a 2.587-second lead over 51 KYLE BUSCH after 25 laps (of 150). BUSCH was second, followed by 7 JOHN WES TOWNLEY in third, 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. in fourth and 17 TIMOTHY PETERS in fifth. 32 trucks were on the track with 24 on the lead lap. The race went to the first caution of the night on Lap 26 when 62 BRENDAN GAUGHAN appeared to suffer an engine failure on the frontstretch. GAUGHAN was able to get off the track under his own power, but went immediately to the garage. It looks like we lost an oil line of some sort. The ECR guys are in there looking at it. They build some of the best power in the business. We talked about how proud I was at Texas of it running at 320 plus degrees and it lived. It is just some sort of a part malfunction, either a line or a pump. That is just the fluke part of racing, GAUGHAN said. The caution allowed the field to make their first pit stops of the night with the stops coming on Lap 27. The first lead change of the night came on Lap 28 when 29 RYAN BLANEY pitted, turning the lead over to 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. The Lucky Dog for the first caution was 93 RYAN SIEG. The race restarted on Lap 31 with 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. in the lead. 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI was in second, followed by 29 RYAN BLANEY in third, 88 MATT CRAFTON in fourth and 51 KYLE BUSCH in fifth. 31 trucks were on the track with 25 on the lead lap The race went to a second caution shortly after the restart when 24 BRENNAN NEWBERRY appeared to drop a transmission between Turns 1 & 2 with the drive shaft being spotted rolling down the track. The Lucky Dog for the second caution was 81 CJ FAISON.
14 The race restarted on Lap 36 with 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. in the lead. 88 MATT CRAFTON was in second followed by 29 RYAN BLANEY in third, 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI in fourth and 51 KYLE BUSCH in fifth. The race went to a third caution on Lap 42 when 8 MAX GRESHAM got loose and made contact with the wall in Turn 2. GRESHAM suffered enough damage that he needed help getting the truck off the track. The Lucky Dog for the caution was 92 SCOTT RIGGS. During the caution, 29 BRAD KESELOWSKI pitted twice to take four tires and top off the tank. KESELOWSKI, who was running in the top five, dropped to 24 th place, the last truck on the lead lap. The race restarted on Lap 47 with 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. in the lead. WALLACE was followed by 29 RYAN BLANEY in second, 51 KYLE BUSCH in third, 3 TY DILLON in fourth and 88 MATT CRAFTON in fifth. 29 trucks were on the track with 24 on the lead lap. Shortly after the restart, 29 RYAN BLANEY challenged for the lead but got loose. BLANEY was able to save the truck from spinning, but dropped to sixth place. 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. held a 0.458-second lead over 51 KYLE BUSCH after 50 laps (of 150). BUSCH was second followed by 3 TY DILLON in third, 31 JAMES BUESCHER in fourth and 88 MATT CRAFTON in fifth. 29 trucks were on the track with 24 on the lead lap. By lap 57, 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI, who had restarted 24 th, had moved up to 12 th place. After three cautions in the first 46 laps (13 caution laps total), the race reached a run of 25 straight green flag laps starting on Lap 73.
15 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. owned a 0.338-second lead over 51 KYLE BUSCH at the halfway point of the race (75 of 150 laps). BUSCH was in second, followed by 3 TY DILLON in third, 31 JAMES BUESCHER in fourth and 88 MATT CRAFTON in fifth. 29 trucks were on the track with 19 on the lead lap. The race went to a fourth caution on Lap 81 when 7 JOHN WES TOWNLEY got loose between Turns 3 & 4. TOWNLEY threw a lot of smoke from his tires but was able to save the truck from hitting the wall. The Lucky Dog for the caution was 93 RYAN SIEG. The caution came at a good time for the field since most had not stopped since Lap 28, putting the field at the end of their fuel windows. Without the caution, green flag stops would have started on the next lap or two. The second lead change of the night came on Lap 82 when 51 KYLE BUSCH beat 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. out of the pits. During the caution, 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI, who had been 11 th, pitted twice for the second straight caution. KESELOWSKI restarted 19 th. The race restarted on Lap 85 with 51 KYLE BUSCH in the lead. BUSCH was followed by 31 JAMES BUESCHER in second, 17 TIMOTHY PETERS in third, 29 RYAN BLANEY in fourth and 3 TY DILLON in fifth. Misfortune hit 54 DARRELL WALLACE, Jr. on lap 87 when he made contact with 29 RYAN BLANEY in Turn 3 and went into the wall. WALLACE, who led 54 laps in the race, suffered significant damage and went directly to the garage. BLANEY stayed on the track and remained in third place.
16 The Lucky Dog for the caution was 81 CJ FAISON. The race restarted on Lap 91 with 51 KYLE BUSCH in the lead. BUSCH was followed by 17 TIMOTHY PETERS in second, 29 RYAN BLANEY in third, 31 JAMES BUESCHER in fourth and 3 TY DILLON in fifth. 28 trucks were on the track with 20 on the lead lap. 51 KYLE BUSCH had a 0.702-second lead over 29 RYAN BLANEY after Lap 100 (of 150). BLANEY was in second followed by 17 TIMOTHY PETERS in third, 31 JAMES BUESCHER in fourth and 3 TY DILLON in fifth. 28 trucks were on the track with 20 on the lead lap. The pit of 9 RON HORNADAY, Jr., a three-time series winner at the Kentucky Speedway, reported that they felt confident that HORNADAY would not have to pit again. Reports from other pits indicated that most trucks were 6-8 laps short on fuel. Reports on the television broadcast on Speed indicated that several trucks had backed off the gas to save fuel. 51 KYLE BUSCH had been running at 173 mph but turned consecutive laps at 170 mph. The fuel guessing game came to an end on Lap 109 when the race went to a sixth caution when 99 BRYAN SILAS spun heading into Turn 4 and made slight contact with the wall with the right rear of the truck. The caution allowed the field to stop for the final time. The Lucky Dog for the caution was 27 JEFF AGNEW. The caution led to the third and fourth lead changes of the race. 29 RYAN BLANEY was credited with leading Lap 109 as everybody stopped and 51 KYLE BUSCH regained the lead once everybody was back on the track.
17 The race restarted on Lap 113 with 51 KYLE BUSCH in the lead. BUSCH was followed by 29 RYAN BLANEY in second, 17 TIMOTHY PETERS in third, 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI in fourth and 3 TY DILLON in fifth. 28 trucks were on the track with 21 on the lead lap. 51 KYLE BUSCH was fiercely defending his lead. On Lap 119, 29 RYAN BLANEY made a run at the lead high in Turn 2 but BUSCH pushed up the track and BLANEY made contact with the wall. The caution did not come out as BLANEYavoided serious damage but BLANEY dropped to fourth place. Later in the same lap, 3 TY DILLON made a similar run but backed off as BUSCH again moved up the track. The fifth lead change of the night came on Lap 124 when 3 TY DILLON went inside down the backstretch to pass 51 KYLE BUSCH. It was the first green flag lead change of the race. 3 TY DILLON owned a 0.103-second lead over 51 KYLE BUSCH after Lap 125 (of 150). BUSCH was second, followed by 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI in third, 31 JAMES BUESCHER in fourth and 29 RYAN BLANEY in fifth. 28 trucks were on the track with 21 on the lead lap. Once in the lead, 3 TY DILLON started to cruise. After Lap 130, DILLON owned a 1.738-second lead over 51 KYLE BUSCH. After Lap 136, 3 TY DILLON opened his lead up to 3.831 seconds over 51 KYLE BUSCH. On Lap 139, 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI passed 51 KYLE BUSCH and into second place. 3 TY DILLON owned a 4.704-second lead over 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI after Lap 140 (of 150). KESELOWSKI was in second followed by 51 KYLE BUSCH in third, 31 JAMES BUESCHER in fourth and 29 RYAN BLANEY in fifth. 28 trucks were on the track with 19 on the lead lap. After Lap 145, 3 TY DILLON s lead was at 4.445 seconds over 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI.
18 3 TY DILLON was not to be denied, taking the checkered flag by 5.736 seconds over 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI. The top 10 finishers of the race were: 1. 3 TY DILLON (Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet) 2. 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Reese Ford) -5.736 seconds 3. 51 KYLE BUSCH (ToyotaCare Toyota) -7.502 4. 31 JAMES BUESCHER (FOE Chevrolet) -7.529 5. 29 RYAN BLANEY (Cooper Standard Ford) -8.636 6. 17 TIMOTHY PETERS (Tire Discounters/Valvoline NextGen Toyota) -9.649 7. 32 MIGUEL PALUDO (AccuDoc Solutions Chevrolet) -11.001 8. 77 GERMAN QUIROGA (Otter Box Toyota) -11.376 9. 4 JEB BURTON (Arrowhead Chevrolet) -16.403 10. 88 MATT CRAGFTON (IdealDoor/Menards Toyota) -17.411 There were six cautions totaling 25 laps during the race. The caution laps were 27-30 (GAUGHAN engine smoke), 32-35 (NEWBERRY transmission), 42-46 (GRESHAM mishap), 81-84 (TOWNLEY spin), 87-90 (WALLACE mishap), 109-112 (Silas spin). Eight (of the 36 starting) trucks were unable to finish the race. They were: 0 CHRIS LAFFERTY Rear End Issues (completed 0 laps) 75 CLAY GREENFIELD Transmission (completed 2 laps) 38 CHRIS JONES Vibration (completed 2 laps) 84 DANNY EFLAND Clutch Issues (completed 9 laps) 24 BRENNAN NEWBERRY Transmission (completed 31 laps) 8 MAX GRESHAM Mishap on Lap 42 (completed 40 laps) 63 JUSTIN JENNINGS Rear vibration (completed 53 laps) 07 TODD PECK Undetermined (completed 98 laps) Four trucks led laps during the race and there were five lead changes, including just one under the green flag: 29 RYAN BLANEY 28 Laps (1-27, 109) 54 DARRELL WALLACE, JR. 54 Laps (28-81) 51 KYLE BUSCH 42 Laps (82-108, 110-124) 3 TY DILLON 26 Laps (125-150) The average speed of the race was 127.588 mph (including cautions) with an elapsed time of 1:45.53.
19 The win by 3 TY DILLON made him the 13 th different winner in 16 series events at Kentucky Speedway. Only 9 RON HORNADAY, JR. (3 wins) and 31 JAMES BUESCHER 92) has won more than once in the series at The Kentucky Speedway. Pole-sitter 29 RYAN BLANEY finished fifth, making it 15 times out of 16 events that the driver who started on the pole did not win the race. The win by 3 TY DILLON makes him the youngest winner of a series event at Kentucky Speedway, eclipsing the record held by 31 JAMES BUESCHER, who set it with his win in June, 2012. 3 TY DILLON tied the track series record for winning a race after starting the lowest in the field. DILLON started 22 nd, equaling the accomplishment of RON HORNADAY, Jr. in July, 2006. The race tied a record with the fewest lead drivers (BLANEY, BUSCH, WALLACE & DILLON), equaling the mark set in June, 2012. The race also set a record for fewest lead changes in a race with five, besting the old mark of six set in June 2012. 29 RYAN BLANEY, who led 28 laps and finished fifth: I really like the track. It s probably one of the more technical tracks we go to with the bumps and everything. It s got great grip but it is just really bumpy. I thought we got over the bumps really well and I love going to this race track. It s awesome. We can run two lanes, maybe three. Its a really fun racetrack and I m really excited to be able to have a good run here in Kentucky.
20 31 JAMES BUESCHER, who finished fourth: Man, what a race. I really thought I had third place there at the end but the 51(KYLE BUSCH) got me there at the end. This is a tough, tough place to race these trucks. It is so hard to pass. You basically just have to slide job someone to get by them and man is this place rough. You really have to pick your spots and be patient. We'll take this top five and move on. 51 KYLE BUSCH, who led 42 laps and finished third: I was loose before the two-tire stop, then we came in and tried to tighten it up and make it better and it was still loose. We tested here and it was like clockwork. At 9:15, it was loose, so I don't know. I can't believe we messed up like that. The Toyota Care Toyota Tundra was really fast. Darrell (Wallace Jr.) was probably the best truck here until he got tore up. I had it for Blaney too. He got to my outside and I got all the way out of to the gas and cranked left and he was just dumping air on my spoiler making me tight. I got him to the fence, I mean he was racing for a win just like we were. I didn't want to do it, but it just happened that way. I just tried to finish it out and get the best finish I could. 19 BRAD KESELOWSKI, who finished second: "We definitely spent a lot of time on pit road trying to get it right. We weren't far off at the end. Obviously Ty (DILLON) had a great truck and we did too. It just didn't come together. I made a few mistakes and Ty did a great job. I had a lot of fun racing with Kyle (BUSCH) there at the end and battling and trying to get up there. Ty just drove away there as we were battling and he did a good job and congrats to him. We came up a little bit short today. We've got more races to get into victory lane. When I was in dirty air, I got so loose. I thought something was wrong, but who knows if I might have screwed it up. It didn't feel right and we came in and put new tires on and it felt okay again. I don't know. The truck was un-drivable early on. We drove back through a little bit and started to get our track position again. Then our gas guy on the last stop got gas in his eyes and had to go to the Infield Care Center. It's kind of one of them days and at the end we still had a shot at it. Everyone on this team is fighting real hard to get a win. It would mean a lot to me. We have a lot of these second (place finishes) and don't have a win but they are coming soon."
21 UNOH 225 Winner 3 TY DILLON: We had to be patient the whole race. In the beginning and middle of the race, our truck wasn't good enough to run with those guys. We had to hang on to the top five and stay in consistent and keep working on the truck. I knew when we took off, we started sixth on the last restart, passed a couple of guys and the truck was handling great. I'd catch him (BUSCH) a couple of times, I think, Ryan and Kyle a couple of times up off the corner and I knew I had something for them, so if I kept battling and kept running consistent laps, that I'd catch them. Then (BUSCH) and Ryan had that dust-up in the corner and that gave me huge momentum. I stayed on Kyle and waited for him to make a mistake. His truck got a little loose and I was able to capitalize on it. From there on that thing was a bullet." This track fits our style. We are dirt racers. I don t know if it s the roughness of the track and just the way you have to drive it. It s a little bit flatter of a track. You don t have much banking to hold you, so you have to drive things loose here. I think we are just comfortable with it. (The win) means a lot. To get my first NASCAR tour start here with the truck series. Every time I come here, I run well. Last year I finished third in both races and I felt like we could have won those races. It s just always been a good fit for me and Austin (DILLON). To win here in Kentucky after being here for when Austin won last year and being in victory lane with him. It feels nice. I guess that s three in a row for the Dillons.
22 Kentucky Speedway Pit Notes Friday, June 28, 2013 Day two of the biggest weekend of racing at The Kentucky Speedway in 2013 opened under clear skies and a mild temperature approaching 80 degrees. The Friday schedule had five on-track events scheduled, totaling almost seven hours of racing, during the day, all leading up to Friday night s running of the NASCAR Nationwide Series Feed The Children 300. The track came to life at 9:00 a.m. when the NASCAR Nationwide series drivers took to the track for the second time this weekend, holding a 90-minute Final Practice. The session was in preparation for Friday afternoon s qualifying session, which would determine the starting grid for the Feed The Children 300, The practice opened under clear skies with an air temperature of 76 degrees. The relative humidity was 80-percent with almost no breeze. A total of 42 cars were expected to take part in the practice with each earning spots in the final starting grid. Speeds were fast from the start as a pair of drivers topped the 175 mph mark in the first 20 minutes. 60 TRAVIS PASTRANA (Roush Fenway Racing Ford) owned the fastest effort, a 175.970 mph lap while 33 MATT CRAFTON (Menards/Rheem Chevrolet) was a close second in 175.857 mph. At the 30-minute mark, 41 of the 42 cars on the entry list had taken part in practice. There were no major changes at the top at the 75-minute mark. In additions to PASTRANA and CRAFTON above the 175 mph mark, 22 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Discount Tire Ford) was the only other driver above 174 mph, owning a 174.070 mph lap.
23 Practice ended on schedule at 10:30 a.m. with 41 cars taking part in the session. 32 KYLE LARSON (Clear Men Chevrolet) was on the track the longest, turning 44 practice laps, while 42 JOSH WISE (Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet) was on the shortest time, taking just three practice laps. Speeds were up throughout the field during the practice as 15 cars were able to surpass the 172.750 mph mark turned in by 33 MATT CRAFTON (Menards/Rheem Chevrolet), the fastest lap from Thursday night s first practice. The top five laps during the session were: 60 TRAVIS PASTRANA (Roush Fenway Racing Ford) 175.970 mph 33 MATT CRAFTON (Menards/Rheem Chevrolet) 175.867 mph 99 ALEX BOWMAN (St. Jude Children s Research Hospital Toyota) 174.593 mph 3 AUSTIN DILLON (AdvoCare Chevrolet) 174.194 mph 22 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Discount Tire Chevrolet) 174.070 mph 33 MATT CRAFTON (Menards/Rheem Chevrolet), who was second-fastest during practice: We had a very good car. We didn t tune a whole lot during our day practice just because the track changes so much from day to night and we did our mock qualifying runs early and made a few changes based off that. I think we ll have a really good race car tonight. Impressions of the track after the practice: I love it. Honestly, this is one of my favorite race tracks to come to just because it has so much character. I love it. If the ever repaved this race track, I tell you, I know I m coming, we re going to fake it at this place if they ever repave it. It s so cool because its worn out enough and you slide around a lot and you have the bumps to deal with. I mean it s definitely one of the coolest race tracks ever.
24 Quotes from the Press Conference with 48 JIMMIE JOHNSON (Lowe s Dover White Chevrolet): On coming to Kentucky, A track he hasn t won at yet: "It gets me excited. There are five tracks left that I haven't won at. I think (Tony) Stewart is down to two or three. We don't talk about it between Stewart, (Jeff) Gordon or myself, but I think we all secretly would all love to be the first to win at every track that we compete at. Again, I think Stewart is the closest right now, and I want to get closer. I've been very close here, I've been very close at Michigan, and I've been very close at Chicago. So I hope we can get one or two of them this year, and I'd love to start here. On reaching the midway point of the season: "It still feels like it's not going to end. There's no doubt about it, there's still a lot of races left. Our last off weekend is in a few weeks, and then we have to grind out for 20-something weeks after that. The situation we're in, with a strong start to this season, we're in a comfortable position because of the wins and where we are in points. But at the same time, as we get closer to the start of The Chase, we need to make sure that we're peaking at the right time, and that we don't peak too early, so we have that pressure and motivation on our side. And then, when the final 10 (races) start, it's just brutal. You live week-toweek, and honestly in some situations, you live day-to-day at the track and what kind of speed your car has, and that takes it to a whole new level. And then we have our short off season, and we load up and do it again. On how the new car design is being accepted by the fans & sponsors: "It's been very well accepted by the race teams, drivers, the fans and manufacturers. When you look at the first quarter of the year, especially starting at Daytona and the new buzz around the new car and everybody seeing it in competition for the first time, it's been a great launch of the Gen 6 car. I know all the manufacturers are very pleased with the (garbled) of the car and the connection between the showroom and racetrack. And hopefully, it's a good sign of things to come in the future. Manufacturers are very important to our sport. Due to officiating, things changed with the Gen 5 car, but now the focus has gone back to the manufacturers, and they have an identity with the Gen 6 car, and that's been really good. On competing on a track that he has had issues with: "Since I've been here to compete in a Cup car, I really like this track now. I think I qualified in the top-5 for the first one and I ran well. Last year, I qualified for the pole and was very competitive in the race. Where the dislike came from was from my Nationwide days -- I tore up a few cars here. And then prior to my Cup start with (Rick) Hendrick, this track was... we weren't able to test here. And now there are teams working here every week, working away. I've piled a bunch of them into the wall over there in Turn 3 and 4, so coming back I was a little concerned about that. But things have been very good since I've been in competition here in the Cup car.
25 Press Conference quotes from48 JIMMIE JOHNSON (Continued) On the importance of handling Turn 3: "For me, when we were testing here, the entry is so flat that you really don't pick up the banking until almost the physical center of the corner. And I would lose the back of my car on corner entry, and spin out and smack the fence. Now it's changed quite a bit. The track is so rough, starting with the very end of the straightaway before you turn off to one of the corners, there's a pretty big... it's almost a curb... I mean, inside the car it's big, it's a forceful impact. It just limits your speed into the corner, and then shortly after that, you get into a series of bumps that present some challenges. Now, I think in that, that is where my fondness with the track has come around. Where it was smooth and easy to get through there, I'd just bust my butt over there and make a mistake. Now you've got to slow down, deal with the bumps, your car setting is very important, your line selection is very important, and you can move around 2-3 feet into the entry to the corner there, and find like little valleys and miss the bumps and improve your lap time dramatically. That aspect of it makes it really fun for the drivers, because you've got many options. You don't just chase the white line around the track. On whether he is concerned about not making The Chase: "Honestly, we're all worried. I mean even in the dominant position I'm in, we look back at the last 3-4 races and see missed opportunity. We left some bonus points on the table, plus points in general. If we were in The Chase, you can't win a championship that way with Dover and Michigan, you can't make those mistakes. Although it looks like we're just cruising along and smiling, we have a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform at the level that we need to. But the other teams in that bubble area, you'll see a lot of tests, and you'll hear about a lot of testing. Teams have been very smart about preserving test sessions. And as we get closer to the chase, I think you'll see a lot of teams in that 8-14, or 8-12 range, using those test sessions to make sure they have good finishes and collect a lot of points.
26 Quotes from the Press Conference with 29 KEVIN HARVICK (Budweiser Chevrolet): On keeping focus in the middle of the season: It s nice being in the position we re in. We ve been in several different areas in the points throughout this time of year. Obviously, with a couple of wins and where we are in the points, we are really going after wins. It s like this week. We ve been gone for three or four weeks with the testing and appearances and the travel. Myself, after we got home Monday night, we just shut it down for three days and took a few days off. The biggest thing is once you ve experienced, no matter where you are in the points, once you ve experienced this time of year you learn how to maintain yourself. On if testing at Kentucky put them ahead of the curve this weekend: Well this is a unique race track with how rough it is. Obviously, everywhere we ve been, the car has required something different to go around the race track like you need it to. Sometimes those tests backfire on you. At Pocono, it all worked out for us and we had a competitive car and we were able to run fast and do the things we thought we should be able to do from the test. But when you come back to a racetrack and see a lot more rubber on it and you see different weather conditions, you are always a little bit concerned until you get through practice and the race and see where everything is at. On differences in the track from last year: The track surface is pretty consistent. Its just a really rough track. There s nothing wrong with the race track, its just rough. I think we d rather see a rough race track than a repaved race track. After a 60-minute break, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers took to the track for the first time this week, taking part in a 60-minute practice session in preparation for Saturday night s Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts. The practice began on schedule at 11:30 a.m. with 43 cars expected to take part in the session. The session didn t take long to heat up as 48 JIMMIE JOHNSON (Lowe s Dover White Chevrolet) posted the fastest lap of the week (all series) with a 176.047 mph effort in the first five minutes of the session. Speeds should continue to climb as the first two NSCS winners of qualifying at Kentucky Speedway each surpasses 181 mph, including a qualifying record of 182.803 mph by KYLE BUSCH in 2012.
27 After just five minutes, 40 cars had already been on the track. Twelve minutes into the session, 2 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Miller Lite Ford) took over the top speed with a 177.032 mph effort. It didn t take long for 48 JIMMIE JOHNSON (Lowe s Dover White Chevrolet) to move back out front, using a 177.090 mph lap to take over the lead just 16 minutes into the session. The halfway point in the practice (30 minutes) had 48 JIMMIE JOHNSON (Lowe s Dover White Chevrolet) with the fastest lap (177.090 mph) and 2 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Miller Lite Ford) a close second at 177.032 mph. Forty-two cars had turned laps with 24 above 175 mph. With 10 minutes left in the practice, 29 KEVIN HARVICK (Budweiser Chevrolet) jumped to the lead of the pack, becoming the first driver to surpass the 178 mph mark with a 178.784 mph lap. The practice ended on schedule at 12:30 with all 43 cars taking part in the session. 22 JOEY LOGANO (Shell Pennzoil Ford) was on the track the longest, making 34 practice laps, while 44 SCOTT RIGGS (No Label Ford) was on the track the shortest, turning just two laps. There were no changes in the final minutes of the session. The top five drivers were: 29 KEVIN HARVICK (Budweiser Chevrolet) 178.784 mph 48 JIMMIE JOHNSON (Lowe s Doevr White Chevrolet) 177.090 mph 2 BRAD KESELOWSKI (Miller Lite Ford) 177.032 mph 78 KURT BUSCH (Furniture Row/Sealey Chevrolet) 176.898 mph 24 JEFF GORDON (Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet) 176.557 mph