NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Sprint All-Star Race Post Race Report
Charlotte Motor Speedway
May 17, 2014
Race Highlights:
Richard Childress Racing driver Ryan Newman finished 16th. Teammates Austin Dillon and Paul Menard did not participate in the event after finishing eighth and ninth, respectively, in Friday evening’s Sprint Showdown.
Newman ranks eighth in the Sprint Cup Series championship point standings, trailing current leader Jeff Gordon by 62 points, while Dillon ranks 14th and Menard ranks 18th.
Jamie McMurray earned his first Sprint All-Star victory and was followed to the finish line by Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Carl Edwards.
The next Sprint Cup Series race is the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, May 25, which is scheduled to be televised live on FOX beginning at 6 p.m. Eastern Time and is scheduled to be broadcast live on the Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Satellite Radio, channel 90.
Austin Dillon Races To An Eighth-Place Finish in Sprint Showdown
After earning the pole, Austin Dillon led three laps in Friday evening’s Sprint Showdown but, following a pit stop for two tires,.ultimately earned an eighth-place finish after developing a tight-handling condition.
Start – 1st Finish – 8th Laps Led – 3 Points – na
2011 CC Team Icon 27 NSCS Menards
Paul Menard Earns Ninth-Place Finish in No. 27 Serta / Menards Chevy
in Sprint Showdown
Paul Menard and the No. 27 Serta/Menards Chevrolet team qualified for the Sprint Showdown in the sixth position and finished in ninth place after battling a tight race car for 40 laps of competition.
Start – 6th Finish – 9th Laps Led – 0 Points – na
Ryan Newman Records 16th-Place Finish in CAT/Quicken Loans Chevrolet in Sprint All-Star Race
Ryan Newman drove Richard Childress Racing’s No. 31 CAT/Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS to a 16th-place finish in Saturday night’s 90-lap exhibition event at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The South Bend, Ind., driver started 21st as a result of the evening’s unique qualifying effort that consisted of three laps and a four-tire pit stop. The first 20-lap segment showed Newman in 15th position, but a two-tire service during the break catapulted the No. 31 Chevrolet to third position. Then six laps into the second segment, Newman dodged a wreck triggered by the No. 18 machine. Crew chief Luke Lambert called his driver onto pit road two times for a four-tire service and then repairs to the front nose. When the second segment ended, the No. 31 raced in 12thand a fast pit stop completed by The CAT/Quicken Loans crew enabled Newman to restart in 10th position. Newman dodged another close call one lap into the fourth segment when the three cars collided. On lap 67, the race returned to green and the No. 31 driver climbed to eighth but lost track position when he made contact with the wall on lap 69. Less than 10 laps later, a tire cut down ending Newman’s night. Up next for the No. 31 team is the sport’s longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Start – 21st Finish – 16th Laps Led – 0 Points – na
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTE:
“If we are going to have a bad night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, I’d rather it be this race than the Coca-Cola 600. It’s a shame. the entire CAT/Quicken Loans team wanted to win the $1 million. This race is so much fun and carries a lot of bragging rights for the year. I thought our car was capable of a top-five finish. We didn’t have the qualifying effort like we were expecting. I slid through our pit stall. I’ve never done that before but I wasn’t too concerned considering I have won this race from the back before. We started off a little too tight but all and all, it wasn’t all that bad. I think we’ve learned a few things tonight, so I’m looking forward to next week.”