RCR Post Race Report — Kentucky Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
RACE: Quaker State 400
TRACK: Kentucky Speedway
DATE: June 30, 2012
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing teammates finished 11th (Kevin Harvick), 12th (Paul Menard) and 24th (Jeff Burton).
Harvick ranks sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver championship point standings, 68 points behind Matt Kenseth’s lead, while Menard ranks 13th and Burton ranks 20th.
According to NASCAR’s Loop Data Statistics, Harvick spent 93.3 percent (249 laps) running within the top 15 during the Quaker State 400.
Harvick made 66 Green-Flag Passes, tying him with RCR teammate Menard for sixth in the NASCAR Loop Data statistics category.
Menard ran as high as fourth and maintained a 15.772 average running position before crossing the finish line 12th at the 1.5-mile track.
Burton made 54 green-flag passes over the course of the 267-lap event.
Brad Keselowski captured his third Sprint Cup Series win of the 2012 season and was followed to the finish line by Kasey Kahne, Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon.
The next scheduled Sprint Cup Series race is the Coke Zero 400 powered by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday, July 7. The race is scheduled to be televised live on TNT beginning at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time and broadcast live on the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Monthly Archives: July 2012
Swindell Strikes Before Lightning at Lakeside Speedway
Swindell Strikes Before Lightning at Lakeside Speedway
He regains the World of Outlaws championship lead after series-best sixth win
KANSAS CITY, Kan. – June 30, 2012 – There was thunder and lightning Saturday evening at Lakeside Speedway after another scorching afternoon.
With high humidity and temperatures soaring into triple digits for the fourth consecutive race, the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series was in hurry-up mode as a storm approached prior to the 30-lap feature at the half mile.
Sammy Swindell and Kraig Kinser set the tone from the drop of the green flag as lightning descended around the area midway through the main event. The duo battled neck and neck – even side by side at times – with Swindell crossing the finish line first by a car length.
“I seen him drive in there real hard a few times,” he said. “I was hoping that maybe he would see the carrot out there real close and try to run a little hard. I was just running my line and trying to keep up with the race track as it was changing. It’s a lot easier to control the race sometimes when you’re in front.”
It was his series-best sixth victory of the season and it moved him back into the World of Outlaws championship standings lead for the first time since he and Steve Kinser left Orange County Fair Speedway tied for the points lead on May 19.
Kinser, who won the previous two years at Lakeside Speedway, was involved in the first caution of the race. Brian Brown jumped to the early lead only to smack the wall in turn three on the opening lap. Kinser had nowhere to go and collided with Brown’s stalled car, which was compounded when Patrick Stasa slid into the crash.
Brown and Stasa went to the trailer, while Kinser’s team was unable to make the necessary repairs before the race restarted.
His son, Kraig, who entered the event with three World of Outlaws victories in the past eight events, capitalized on the complete restart by pulling into a comfortable lead. In fact, he held nearly a straightaway advantage before the second-and-final caution on lap seven for Donny Schatz, whose car caught on fire.
After parking it in the infield near turn one and hoping out of the car, which was met with fire extinguishers, Schatz climbed back into his race car and his team fixed the problem. Kinser also rejoined the field – six laps down. He finished 14th and is nine points behind Swindell in the championship standings.
Swindell, who won a pair of Outlaws races on pavement at Lakeside Speedway in 1991 and 1992, rocketed by Kraig Kinser for the lead on the restart as bolts of lightning began to appear in the distance off turn four. Kinser maintained a close second – and even pulled side by side with him on lap 12 – but was unable to regain the lead.
“I got on the gas and spun (the tires) a little bit, just enough for Sammy to get an edge and pull back in front of me,” Kinser said. “That was it. I hounded him so hard at the end of the race. He just never really slipped up at all. He’s hard to pass when he gets out front.”
Cody Darrah also took advantage of the restart and worked his way from sixth to third, where he also finished last year at Lakeside Speedway.
“The first stages of that race I screwed up on those starts,” he said. “Then we had a restart where I kind of got everything back together and ended up pulling from sixth to third. I wish we got through lapped traffic a little bit better, but that’s part of it.”
Lucas Wolfe drove from 10th to fourth and Kerry Madsen was fifth. Chad Kemenah earned the KSE Hard Charger Award after maneuvering from 19 th to sixth. Danny Lasoski finished seventh, Craig Dollansky eighth, Tim Kaeding ninth and Schatz rounded out the top 10.
Brown, Swindell and Lasoski each claimed a heat race, and Joey Saldana was the quickest in qualifying with a lap of 14.162 seconds.
Starting Second, Line Targets Second Joliet Win
Starting Second, Line Targets Second Joliet Win
Event: 15th annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals
Location: Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Illinois
Day/Date: Saturday, June 30, 2012
Pro Stock standout Jason Line completed a strong qualifying effort on Saturday, powering his Summit Racing Camaro to the second starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations of the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois. Steadily improving with every run, Line scored eight bonus points by recording the second quickest elapsed time in each of the four sessions, highlighted by his 6.616-second, 207.82 mph pass on his final attempt.
This marks the ninth time in this season’s 11 races that the defending champion has qualified in either the first or second position and the second consecutive year he will start second at Route 66 Raceway. Despite his solid showing, as he prepared for his first-round matchup against Larry Morgan, Line was already searching for ways to improve his performance.
“Naturally, we’re only completely satisfied when we’re No. 1, but I’m really proud of the progress this team has made with this Summit Racing Camaro,” said Line. “With a total of only 19 runs on this new car, it has already started to show some of its true potential, and we keep gaining on it with every pass down the track. As I keep saying, it’s going to be a great car.
“The good news is that we also made some gains with Greg’s (teammate Anderson) car on that last pass, so we’re feeling fairly positive heading into race day. As long as everyone does their job tomorrow, we have as good a chance as anyone to leave here with the win.”
Anderson Makes Progress, Starts Eighth in Joliet
Anderson Makes Progress, Starts Eighth in Joliet
Event: 15th annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals
Location: Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Illinois
Day/Date: Saturday, June 30, 2012
Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team entered the final day of qualifying for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois looking to get a handle on their race car in the hot conditions at Route 66 Raceway. After recording a 6.660-second time in the afternoon session, the current Full Throttle championship points leader completed his qualifying effort with his best run of the weekend, covering the quarter-mile in 6.638-seconds with a top speed of 207.98 mph to earn the eighth starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations.
Although disappointed to not have placed higher in the qualifying order, the defending Joliet champion was nevertheless encouraged by lessons learned about his new Camaro’s performance on his final attempt, which he saw as reason for cautious optimism heading into his first round encounter against veteran Ron Krisher.
“Our last run tonight was definitely directionally correct, no question about it,” said Anderson. “Obviously we wish we would have made a bigger gain, but for the first time all weekend it was a sign we were headed in the right direction with this Summit Racing Camaro, which gives us a good feeling heading into race day.
“As things stand right now, I think we have a shot, and we’re going to take what we did tonight and make a bigger move with it tomorrow, trying to get ourselves right in the ball game. That’s what I’m going to hope and pray for tonight, and we’ll see if the good Lord shines down on us.”
Anderson Makes Progress, Starts Eighth in Joliet
Anderson Makes Progress, Starts Eighth in Joliet
Event: 15th annual NHRA Route 66 Nationals
Location: Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Illinois
Day/Date: Saturday, June 30, 2012
Greg Anderson and the Summit Racing team entered the final day of qualifying for the NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Illinois looking to get a handle on their race car in the hot conditions at Route 66 Raceway. After recording a 6.660-second time in the afternoon session, the current Full Throttle championship points leader completed his qualifying effort with his best run of the weekend, covering the quarter-mile in 6.638-seconds with a top speed of 207.98 mph to earn the eighth starting position for Sunday’s final eliminations.
Although disappointed to not have placed higher in the qualifying order, the defending Joliet champion was nevertheless encouraged by lessons learned about his new Camaro’s performance on his final attempt, which he saw as reason for cautious optimism heading into his first round encounter against veteran Ron Krisher.
“Our last run tonight was definitely directionally correct, no question about it,” said Anderson. “Obviously we wish we would have made a bigger gain, but for the first time all weekend it was a sign we were headed in the right direction with this Summit Racing Camaro, which gives us a good feeling heading into race day.
“As things stand right now, I think we have a shot, and we’re going to take what we did tonight and make a bigger move with it tomorrow, trying to get ourselves right in the ball game. That’s what I’m going to hope and pray for tonight, and we’ll see if the good Lord shines down on us.”