FORT WORTH, TX – NOVEMBER 04: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, and Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, lead the field on a restart during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

The Sprint Cup Race at Forthworth, Texas is all about Jimmie Johnson moving up 7 points ahead of Brad Keselowski and still the leader in the standings for the Chase Series. It also intensified and raised the competition between the top two racers in the Series. Keselowski only finished second in Texas with a side by side race that took everyone’s breath away.
Literally, the competition between the two racers, who both hold noteworthy records in NASCAR have taken the game side by side in the final 10 laps where Keselowski’s No.2 Dodge and Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet slammed and scraped each other. Spectators and sports analysts held their breath for those instances where it seemed like one or both race cars were going to wreck one or the other. The fact that no wrecks happened for both race cars was a clear manifestation of both the racers’ maturity and intelligent strategy in the series. Johnson commented how the race in Texas has made the Series become a bare-knuckle fight and the gloves have already come off. Keselowski on the other hand, believes that it is important to fight hard, even when others would assume that fighting hard is fighting dirty. He further stated that in the side by side struggle, he was left with the 2 choices; to wreck Johnson’s Chevrolet or to focus on winning the race. He chose the latter, and despite finishing only second to the race, he still went to the extent of walking up to the Victor’s Lane to shake Jimmie Johnson’s hand.

Brad Keselowski / Dover / Sept 2012 (Photo credit: Chrysler-Group)

Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Tony Stewart came as 3rd, 4th, and 5th in the Sprint Cup Race at Texas respectively. Even Kyle Busch himself got amazed at the side by side racing that was happening in front of him stating that the two top racers were fighting hard and were giving everything they’ve got. This was because he got a real close up at the side by side race show, as he ran third in the race. Kyle Busch made some remarkable points in Texas and was able to led four times for 80 laps. In his 15th race, he was able to match for the third time his best Texas finish. It was Johnson who led in the final two laps of the race.
With just 2 races left, the next one being in Phoenix and the final one in Homestead, the battle has become very rigid. Many things can still happen in the 2 upcoming races, but after what happened in Texas last Sunday, it seems like the race rift between Johnson and Keselowski is what people are going to be watching out for.

Shot by The Daredevil at Daytona during Speedweeks 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The win in Texas was a consecutive one for Jimmie Johnson, for the series. Though this may not come as a surprise since this was already his 12th time to win back-to-back races in his whole racing career, and his 7th time for Chase. It also seems like there’s something good for him in Texas, given that five years ago, he also won in the same race track for the Chase 2007 race. The experience of Jimmie Johnson in his racing career outlasts that of Brad Keselowski. However, if we simply look at both of Johnson and Keselowski’s wins in NASCAR for 2012, they are tied for having 5 wins each. Keselowski has also made remarkable feats just for this Series alone.
It cannot be discounted that Brad Keselowski has proven himself rather well in this series. There is still so much that Keselowski can do for the next two races. However, the 7 points behind Jimmie Johnson is the largest deficit he has had in his race career. There are many little things that can greatly contribute to the chances of winning that both Johnson and Keselowski could very well do in the next two races. Both racers don’t seem to have any attitude of complacency in their bones. On Keselowski’s end, he has been very careful in garnering the points that matter most in the previous races for the Series. Johnson on the other hand believes that the 7 points advantage he has over Keselowski is not something to brag or be complacent about.
What we saw at the AAA Texas 500 was a show of what racing is supposed to be about, and that’s thanks to the top 2 racers in the Sprint standings. The 1.5 mile oval of the Texas Motor Speedway got what it deserved; a side by side race by the two most valuable racers in the recent standings. Both Brad Keselowski and Jimmi Johnson proved that there’s no need for car wrecks to make a great car race show. This is NASCAR at its best.

written by: steffeena

For the second time in the Sprint Cup championship Chase, Matt Kenseth emerged victorious. In what can be termed as a caution-marred affair at new Kansas Speedway circuit, Kenseth adjust to the condition much more quickly.
The hard tire and a quick new surface was the main reason behind yesterday’s race-record fourteen cautions. In terms of statistics, it was a record for this season Sprint Cup Series.
Not much of a surprise then that drivers were willing to admit the fact that ‘cautions’, which were somewhat missing this season, come straight back at Kansas. It was cautions, left, right and center at Kansas. Everybody feel the heat, including all the five title contenders.
Jimmie Johnson leading in the first 44 laps, crashed really hard after spinning. From that moment onward, Johnson has to stop at least six to seven times on pit road for repair. Despite that, he managed to finish ninth, a good achievement taking into consideration all the external factors. On an expected note, team owner Rick Hendrick was quite happy with the performance of Johnson saying that given the condition, he was exceptional. Johnson is still second in the overall standing with Keselowski, who finished eighth in this race is still seven points clear of him with four races left in the season. After the race, Keselowski said in media that he was more than happy to come out unscathed in this race but it was a tough day in the office.
Coming back to the race, second spot goes to Martin Truex Jr. Paul Menard finished third for Slugger Labbe, serving a six-race penalty for Michigan infraction.

Kasey Kahne attained the fourth spot, followed by Tony Stewart, who overcame not only spin but also pit road penalty, as he left his stall with instrument still linked up to his car.
Clint Bowyer, coming from Emporia and the winner at Charlotte get the sixth spot. It means that he is still fourth in the standings of Chase. His good showing at Kansas has however erase the cushion of Keselowski by three points and is now twenty-five points behind him.
Regan Smith, driving in place of Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the second time in the row finished seventh. Despite the good showing of Smith, there is a strong possibility that Earnhardt is going to return to the next race after not participating in the last two races due to two concussions in a month and a half span.
Jeff Gordon finished tenth in the race. Denny Hamlin only managed to get thirteenth spot but it does not have an impact on the overall standing, Hamlin is still in third spot behind Keselowski and Johnson. In terms of points, Hamlin is now twenty points behind the leader Keselowski.
Talking about the race winner Kenseth, he is in top form right now, as it was his second victory in a matter of three weeks. But despite all this, he is still not in fray for title. After the victory at Kansas, he has move up in the overall standings but is still ninth, trailing by fifty-five points to Keselowski. The victory at this circuit clearly highlights the fact that how classy Kenseth is as a driver. In a circuit where everybody struggled, he was driving at utmost ease. After winning, Kenseth admitted that it was a tough circuit to drive on but from the audience point of view, it is just breathtaking, as you never know what is going to happen next. It was not a good day for Danica Patrick who wrecked herself by intentionally wrecking Landon Cassill. Biffle was also not at his best. After his poor showing in Kansas, Biffle lost five spots in the overall standings and is now in the eleventh position. Defending champion Stewart was feeling relaxed after an eventful day in the office. He was happy of the fact that team didn’t give up midway and is hopeful that this hard work is going to pay off in the remaining races. Clint Bowyer, pretty much like Stewart wants to hang on and fight it out for the championship till the end. But looking at the broader picture, Keselowski and Johnson looks like a safe bet to fight it out for the title.

Matt Kenseth (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

KANSAS CITY, KS – OCTOBER 09: Jimmie Johnson, driver of the #48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Freight Toyota, and Brad Keselowski, driver of the #2 Miller Lite Dodge, lead the field during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway on October 9, 2011 in Kansas City, Kansas. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

Everyone requires something. Number of drivers racing at Kansas today requires something extra in comparison to others. Likes of Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski are household names but that does not mean they will settle for less than victory. By winning this Sunday, they can increase their chances of lifting the Sprint Cup. There are drivers such as Carl Edwards, Danica Patrick and Regan Smith whose requirements are much more esoteric. Championship doesn’t come into picture for them. They just want to showcase something positive. For Danica Patrick, Saturday was good. She finished tenth in the Nationwide Kansas event. Going into the cup race, it is going to be a huge motivating factor for her.  Just completing on the lead lap in a Cup can be termed as a good achievement at this point of time, given that Danica has not done this in the last seven starts at Cup this season. The track in Kansas has changed quite a bit from the last Sprint Cup Series held in April. The 1.5-mile speedway has taken a shape of completely new facility. There is going to be a new asphalt surface with corners having variable banking. Even after two-three days of practice, there is still ‘uncertainty’ hanging over it. Most of the drivers are of the opinion that they need to start from the scratch and be disciplined in their approach. Denny Hamlin, who crashed at the practice session, entering this race fifteen points behind leader Brad Keselowski is aware of the challenge. When asked about the new layout, Hamlin said that luck is going to play a prominent part. Driving percentage wise is going to be the order of the day comes Sunday, said Hamlin. Initial signs are that attacking drivers are going to get the best out of this track. But for that, right kind of strategy is an absolute must. Making up positions is going to be relatively easy in this track. Fast is the buzzword with complete forty-three car starting lineup breaking previous track qualifying record of Matt Kenseth. But there is still question mark hanging over: How will all the modifications are going to have an impact on the championship? This is important because anytime there are drastic modifications to a track, luck factor is going to come in and you definitely don’t want it when drivers are fighting it out for a championship. Form and stats can go out of window in this scenario. The tire performance is going to have a huge say on the outcome of the race. Some drivers had issues at Michigan, and it can be a big factor come Sunday. Kansas Speedway Chase Race Number: Six of ten Season Race Number: Thirty two of thirty six Size of track: 1.5-mile Variable Banking: Seventeen to twenty degrees Length of Front stretch: 2,685 feet Length of Back stretch: 2,207 feet Race Length: 267 laps Qualifying/Race Data Last year pole winner: Greg Biffle, Ford Last year race winner: Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet Track qualifying record: Matt Kenseth, Ford Track race record: Denny Hamlin, Toyota Race Facts So far, at Kansas, thirteen NASCAR Sprint Cup races have been held. In terms of statistics, ten drivers have participated in all the races. Record for finishing the most laps in this circuit goes to Mark Martin. Jeff Gordon won the initial two Cup races. First pole was won by the Jason Leffler. Jimmie Johnson has won pole position three times. Greg Biffle, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson have won here two times each. Seven of the thirteen races have been won by a driver starting from a top ten position. Only two drivers have won starting from the pole position. Last one being Jimmie Johnson in 2008. Who’s Hot Jimmie Johnson – The defending race winner, Jimmie Johnson has the best record in Kansas. But with so much modifications being made in the track, it remains to be seen, how he is going to perform this Sunday. Greg Biffle – During practice session, Biffle has been very fast. And when you add this up with the past record he enjoys here in Kansas, he is going to be on top of the leader board come Sunday. Brad Keselowski – The Chase point leader has already tasted success at Kansas in the past. Expect big performance from him.

Keselowski gets first Bristol win (Photo credit: Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway)

The No.2 Dodge Charger at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, was the main race car that got everyone’s attention on October 13, 2012. It is not surprising that this car was, in fact, driven by the leader in the rankings for the Chase Series, Brad Keselowski. That was before it got into some trouble when it ran out of gas. That night, Keselowski was in the lead before the last 58 laps and made this incident put him in the 11th spot at Charlotte for the race that night. This gave way to Clint Bowyer to garner his first win in the Chase Series.

Charlotte Motor Speedway, a quad-oval, with its infield road course and legends oval visible. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

While it is true that that Keselowski’s team has always played the game right when it comes to strategies, the odds of that fateful night had not been on their side. The overall rankings did not change though. Keselowski is still in the running to win the Series, by being able to maintain his number 1 ranking, with the same guys following his lead in the top 3. Jimmie Johnson is at the 2nd spot in the overall rankings, while Denny Hamlin is ranked 3rd in the Chase Series. Hamlin, who drove the No. 11 Toyota, finished 2nd at the Charlotte Motor Speedway just after Bowyer. It was Johnson who finished 3rd in the race at Charlotte. Both Johnson and Hamlin may not have won the last 2 races for the Chase Series, but they have inched a little closer when it comes to the points that the leader, Keselowski has in the overall standings. Saving fuel was apparently what the two racers did that Keselowski’s team seemed to might have overlooked. This was also what made Bowyer win the race that night.
Hamlin’s second-place finish to race winner Clint Bowyer made him shave eight points off the Chase for the Sprint Cup lead held by Brad Keselowski. With the No. 48 Chevrolet, Jimmie Johnson, who ended up third in the race eventually landed second in the standings. He had cut slashed his deficit to the lead in half. This was from 14 points behind before the race and successfully went to seven after it.

CONCORD, NC – MAY 24: Clint Bowyer, driver of the #15 5-hour Energy Toyota, walks in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 24, 2012 in Concord, North Carolina. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

For this race alone, Clint Bowyer was the man just because he got a win for the 1st time in the Series. This is also his first time on an intermediate speedway. For racers, that is a big deal. he was able to beat Denny Hamlin to the finish line by .417 seconds. Jimmie Johnson, who used the same strategy that Hamlin and Bowyer, which was saving fuel over the final run, came home third. The three finishers that succeeded in this race alone were able to trim a significant portion off the lead that Brad Keselowski has in the series.
Bowyer, who was driving the No. 15, Toyota in Charlotte was one of the racers in Talladega that got affected by the 25 car pile-up caused by Tony Stewart. Several racers who were supposedly in the lead for the Series were greatly impacted by that circumstance, but winning at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, was the best way to pull anyone’s hopes up. That was exactly what happened to Clint Bowyer. The top 3 in the overall series however know that they are much closer to the win than either of the 2 winners who won at Talladega and Charlotte.

The race in Talladega for the Chase Series is the most exciting thing that car racers and enthusiasts all over America, as well as the entire world look forward to each year. NASCAR or the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is held in different states and the 30th race of the series this year was held at Talladega, Alabama or more specifically, the Talladega Superspeedway. This is where all the motorsports excitement happens. This tri-oval owned by the France family, is where one of the many places in the US, the NASCAR would hold its series of races each year.
The 30th race for NASCAR 2012 Sprint Cup Series was held at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on October 7, 2012. Enthusiasts may always have some reserved excitement for The Big One, which basically refers to any accident involving more than 8 cars in NASCAR. Multi-car pile-ups are no longer new in any NASCAR event, but the phrase was coined back in 1990, when the first accident happened in the Pepsi 400 in 1990 at Talladega. This year, people were already expecting that another “big one” would be lurking and would conquer the race cars once again.

English: Tony Stewart, NASCAR, Stewart-Haas Racing, Sprint Cup Series, Chevy (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It would be illogical to not talk about another “The Big One” that happened in Talladega on October 7. Tony Stewart, who won the 2011 Sprint Cup championship, detonated a 25-car wreck. In the final lap, the cars of Casey Mears, Michael Waltrip and Kasey Kahne were all involved in the pile-up. Stewart said in an interview that he is 100% to be blamed for the pile-up, admitting that it was his fault. These powerful race drivers did their best in making sure not another “big one” is going to happen this time. However, Talladega’s classic event of pile-ups did not fail the world’s expectations. For it to happen in the last lap, and for a champion no less to have triggered it, it can be said that it was bound to happen soon enough. “Classic Talladega”, is how ESPN describes it.
The wreck may have caused everyone a bad day, but it sure did give the win to Matt Kenseth for the race that day. The reason why there was enough amount of disappointment for that last lap pile-up was due to the fact that 10 out of the 12 title contenders were involved in the wreck. However, despite the incident, it did very little to shake the standings of the racers. The top 3 men in the race have not moved their spots, despite Brad Keselowski finishing 7th for that day’s race. He still wound up with a 14-point advantage over close competitor Jimmie Johnson, who finished 17th in the Talladega race, and still finishing 2nd in the overall standings. Brad Keselowski is still the leader in the driver standings for the series.
On that day, there were still racers who were able to strategize their win quite well. The strategy that Kenseth used to win the race, or at least to dodge the pile-up was to choose the middle grove. The handling of his Ford car had become quite problematic all throughout the race, which according to him had been on the loose side since the beginning of the competition that day. His choice to be in the middle grove was not really his best option if he was in a better circumstance. This proved however, to be a blessing in disguise. Being at the bottom would have gotten him spun out, which was what happened to Stewart and Waltrip.

Michael Waltrip at Talladega (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

2008 Aaron’s 499 at Talladega Superspeedway (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Denny Hamlin is the guy who turned out to rank 3rd in the overall standing of the Chase Series. He finished 14th in Talladega. According to him, the strategy that he played with that day was more on not getting a scratch on the car or not being involved in the wreck. He just stood on the brakes and waited for the cars to clear and be able to move along.
The ones who got really hurt at their chances of conquering the NASCAR this year were 2011 champion, Tony Stewart and another racer, Dale Earnhardt Jr., who were both caught up in the wreck at the final lap. Stewart went two positions down in the standings and is now in the 7th place overall after finishing 22nd in Talladega. Earnhardt on the other hand, dropped down to the 11th in the overall rankings after finishing in the 20th place for the Talladega race.
Talladega is known to be the most unpredictable race track in the history of NASCAR. A lot of enthusiasts expect much from it, never failing to foresee that the wins and losses in the Talladega Superspeedway would change the entire course of the series. Keselowski, Johnson and Hamlin would probably beg to disagree, while Kenseth and Stewart would probably think that the race isn’t over yet.

When it comes to NASCAR car racing every year, one course that really stands out from the rest is the Dover International Speedway. With the racing car tires blazing across the white concrete surface, it really offers a great spectacle to the viewers watching from the stands and also to those watching from the comfort of their homes. History of Dover Speedway When one traces the history of Dover’s association with NASCAR, it all started in the year 1969. As the popularity of NASCAR cup series continued to soar, more and more people started to flock to the race track. By the 1980s the course way organizers had to increase the capacity of the side galleries to accommodate the growing fan base. In 1982, around 3000 seats were added to the existing capacity. In the following years, more number of seats was added to the gallery capacity. Such was the popularity of the Dover racing track that there was not a year without capacity expansion till 1998. Dover International speedway is quite unique for its white concrete racing surface. It was laid out in the year 1995. Another important landmark in the history of Dover racing track was the holding of first cup race immediately after the 9/11 attacks on the American soil. The image of Dale Earnhardt Jr, the winner of that event, holding the American National flag, is still etched in the minds of the American public. Amazing List of Winners at this Historic track Since the modern era began in 1971, a whole lot of great racers had won the Sprint Cup series and went on to achieve greater heights in the other NASCAR championship races. In the 70′s, the popular sprint Cup series was the Delaware 500 races. Some of the all time NASCAR racing greats such as David Pearson, Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough dominated the races by winning more than once. In the early eighties, the CRC Chemicals 500 series was a keenly fought race at the Dove international speedway. Darrel Waltrip and Neil Bonnet were the popular winners of the CRC Chemicals series. In the mid and late Eighties, two races that dominated the circuit were the Budweiser 500 and the Delaware 500 that made a comeback. In the year 1988, Bill Elliot got the unique distinction of winning both the Budweiser 500 and Delaware 500 in the same year at Dover. Some of the other greats that ruled the circuit during that era were Harry Gant and Ricky Rudd. By the early nineties, Delaware 500 was replaced by Peak 500, while Budweiser 500 still remained popular among the racers.

In that period Harry Gant and Rick Rudd were joined by another racer called Dale Earnhardt, who went on to achieve greater glory in the NASCAR circuit. By the mid and late Nineties, three racers who won many Sprint Cup series of races were Rusty Wallace, Jeff Gordon and Mark Martin. By the turn of the century, racers like Dale Earnhardt Jr, Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson started to emerge and won a number of Cup races at the Dover International speedway. By the middle of the first decade of this century, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle and Jimmie Johnson won many races in the Sprint cup series held at Dover. By the beginning of the second decade of this century, Jimmie Johnson had firmly established himself as one of the great NASCAR racers.

NASCAR auto racer Dale Earnhardt Jr. speaks with members of the press Jan. 23 at Hendrick Motorsports headquarters outside Charlotte, N.C. Earnhardt will drive the National Guard’s co-sponsored No. 88 Sprint Cup car and will join Landon Cassill to co-drive the Guard’s primary-sponsored No. 05 Nationwide Series car. NASCAR’s auto racing season starts in mid-February at Daytona International Speedway, Florida. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This icon of Figure 8 racing from the east will be making his third appearance in the annual Three Hour Endurance Race® at the Speedrome. His experienced team has built a unique machine designed with this event in mind. Maynor is the all-time crossover main event win’s leader at the famed empire state Riverhead Raceway. His victory total is nearing 110 triumphs which is nearly double his nearest rival. He was a Figure 8 track champion in 1992, 1995, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, and 2009. Roger started testing the crossover course back in 1976 when he won rookie-of-the-year honors at the tender age of 16. Major event victories have landed on his biography. He has won the Winternationals in Florida as well as the Southeastern Figure 8 Championship. Maynor took home the northeast’s version of the World title in 1986, 1991, and 1992. He showcased his skills in 1995 winning a Figure 8 main event on ESPN. This will be his3rd trip to Indy and winning this crown is the focus of this legend