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2020 Racing News and Rules for Nascar...

#61
continued from Post #59...

" By
Zack Albert NASCAR.com July 10, 2020 at 10:34 AM

An upbeat Jimmie Johnson said Friday that his feelings have spanned anger, anticipation and ultimately optimism in the week since his positive test for COVID-19, setting an emotional tone for his return to stock-car racing this weekend at Kentucky Speedway.

Johnson’s remarks came Friday morning in his first interview since he received clearance to return to NASCAR competition. The seven-time Cup Series champion will be back in the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet for Sunday’s Quaker State 400 (2:30 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). ...
Code: 
[B]https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2020/07/10/jimmie-johnson-kentucky-speedway-coronavirus-return/[/B]

on a Side Note...

" By
Staff Report NASCAR.com July 10, 2020 at 1:04 PM

Justin Allgaier has been medically cleared to resume all racing activities after a medical evaluation for a non-racing related issue, NASCAR confirmed Friday afternoon.

The driver of the No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet finished 20th on Thursday night at Kentucky after being involved in a hard-hitting last-lap wreck.

Allgaier, Ronnie Bassett Jr. and Timmy Hill all were sent to the infield care center after the incident, as is standard NASCAR procedure. Bassett and Hill were cleared and released while Allgaier was transported to an area hospital for further evaluation.

Allgaier was treated and released from a local hospital earlier Friday morning for non-racing related medical purposes. He underwent further evaluation before being cleared to race.

The NASCAR Xfinity Series completes its doubleheader Friday night in the Bluegrass State (8 p.m. ET, FS1, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)."

Justin Replaced JJ last Weekend...!!!
 
#62
RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Teams in all three NASCAR national series will run the same tire setup. This will be the first time teams run these Goodyear tire codes at Texas Motor Speedway, though they ran them at Kentucky Speedway last weekend and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in February. For Cup Series and Xfinity Series, the setup features a compound change to add more grip on the left side and a construction update on the right side. For the Gander Truck Series, the setup will have construction updates on both sides but the compound change for more grip on the left side.

“Repaved tracks create their own set of challenges for us and the teams of NASCAR,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “At places like Texas, high tire wear is not the issue. In fact, it’s the opposite. After being repaved just a few seasons ago, Texas’ track surface is still very smooth, so we have to design our tread compounds to wear. Tire wear is a good thing and is especially important on a smooth surface. When a tire wears, that means the tread is shredding rubber and allowing some of the heat generated to be dissipated from the tire. That makes the tire run cooler with better grip and performance.”

The Cup Series will be allowed nine sets for the race. The Xfinity Series will have five sets. And the Gander Truck Series will have four sets.

STATS TO KNOW

— Kevin Harvick has won three of the last six races (fall 2017, fall 2018 and fall 2019) at Texas Motor Speedway since the track was repaved and reconfigured in 2017, including two of the last three. Otherwise, three different drivers made a trip to Victory Lane: Jimmie Johnson (spring 2017), Kyle Busch (spring 2018) and Denny Hamlin (spring 2019).

— Sixteen of the last 18 races at Texas Motor Speedway were won from a top-10 starting position. Three of the victories came from the polesitter (Jimmie Johnson, fall 2012; Kyle Busch, spring 2013; Kevin Harvick, fall 2019).

— The driver who led the most laps won three of the last nine races at Texas Motor Speedway. Also, the race winner led more than 115 laps in three of the last four Texas races.

— The final green-flag stretch was 30 laps or longer in four of the last six races at Texas Motor Speedway. Both of the 2019 events had a final green-flag run of 74 laps or longer.

— Team Penske has won three times at Texas Motor Speedway, but the last was the spring race of 2014 by Joey Logano. All three of the team’s drivers have won at least one race this season. Logano and Brad Keselowski each have two wins, while Ryan Blaney has one.

— Erik Jones, who has yet to win a race in 2020, boasts the best average finish (9.43 in seven starts) at Texas Motor Speedway among all active drivers.
 
#63
Jimmie Johnson to test a Ganassi IndyCar UPDATE
July 28, 2020
UPDATE 3: Jimmie Johnson finally fulfilled his childhood dream of driving an Indy car with a test session Tuesday. When the seven-time NASCAR champion finished turning laps, he was sold on figuring out how to race next year in the IndyCar Series
 
#64
RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for short tracks and road courses will be in effect, a reduced downforce package that features a 1.17-inch tapered spacer used to achieve a target of 750 horsepower, significantly smaller rear spoiler at 2.75 inches, a quarter-inch front splitter overhang with approximately 2-inch wings and alterations to the radiator pan and the removal of its vertical fencing to reduce front-end downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Since it is relatively flat, New Hampshire Motor Speedway produces minimal load compared to more high-banked tracks. Grip is therefore generated through the compounds Goodyear selects for its tire setup. Both the left- and right-side compounds have changed since last year’s race and will add grip. Teams will also try to gain grip by going below the recommended air pressures. Low left-side pressures, which some teams run down into the single digits, can cause the sidewall to over-deflect and damage the tire carcass to the point of air loss.

“We have a different tire setup at New Hampshire this year, and it is the same as what we run at Phoenix (Raceway),” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “This setup has different tread compounds than we ran at Loudon last year, and teams should see a grip enhancement as a result. The real benefit is that Loudon and Phoenix are now aligned once again, which is how it had been in the past until Phoenix was repaved about a decade ago. This will give playoff teams another race with this setup and will help them as they build their notebook for championship weekend in November.”

Teams will be allowed seven sets of tires.

STATS TO KNOW

— Kevin Harvick has won three out of the last five New Hampshire races, while the last eight events have either been won by Harvick or a Joe Gibbs Racing driver. Denny Hamlin, the other heavy championship favorite this season, has earned one win in that eight-race span.

— Are a couple of rookies set to heat up as the playoffs inch closer? With a win at Kentucky Speedway under his belt, Cole Custer has finished in the top 10 in three of the last four races in 2020 as has Tyler Reddick. Christopher Bell is no stranger to Victory Lane at New Hampshire, winning in both Xfinity Series starts and one of two Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series starts.

— Aric Almirola enters Sunday with an eight-race string of top-10 finishes, best in the Cup Series, but the Stewart-Haas Racing driver only has one top 10 in the last eight races at New Hampshire.

— Brad Keselowski is quietly enjoying his career-best Cup Series season. Keselowski’s 14 top-10 finishes so far this season are his best all time through 19 races. For the No. 2 Team Penske driver, New Hampshire ranks third among most top 10s in his career, owning 12 top 10s in 19 starts.

— Martin Truex Jr. owns top 10s in the last five races at New Hampshire, but he leads the all-time list when it comes to laps led in Loudon without a victory, pacing the field for 744 laps in 26 starts. Truex’s best finish is third.

Source: NASCAR statistics, Racing Insights
 
#65
Oh Hell's Bell's :

" By
Staff Report NASCAR.com August 4, 2020 at 10:58 AM

Bob Leavine announced Tuesday morning that he sold his family-owned racing team, indicating that Leavine Family Racing will cease operations at the end of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season.

Leavine has fielded cars in NASCAR’s top division since 2011, when it embarked on a four-race stint with veteran David Starr. The team currently campaigns the No. 95 Toyota for Sunoco Rookie of the Year candidate Christopher Bell, who ranks 23rd in Cup Series points.

In a teleconference with reporters, LFR team president Jeremy Lange did not identify the buyer(s), saying “it’s their news, and we’re going to let them make their announcement.”
 
#66
RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

GOODYEAR TIRES

The NASCAR Cup Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series will use the same combination of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials this weekend. While this tire setup is new for Michigan, it has been used at a handful of intermediate-sized tracks — Texas Motor Speedway, Kentucky Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway — already this season. Compared to the most recent Michigan race a year ago, both right- and left-side tires will feature a construction update; the left-side tires have a new compound to improve grip, and both sides will have compounds intended to introduce wear.

“With limited track time under the current schedules, teams enter this weekend’s races at Michigan already being familiar with this tire setup,” said Greg Stucker, director of racing for Goodyear. “In the past, under more ‘normal’ conditions, teams would be able to work through the practice sessions to dial in on their car setups, with a big part of that being finding the balance on how the tire is working with the track. We’ve aligned this recent group of race tracks based on the smooth track surfaces and similar factors like speeds and loads, and that helps teams as they build their notebooks from which to work. That will be enhanced this weekend, of course, as Cup teams will run races on consecutive days, so it will be interesting to see who unloads strong on Saturday and who will be able to make adjustments and improve for Sunday.”

Cup Series teams will be allowed six sets of tires for each race. Gander Trucks teams will have a four-set allotment for their 200-mile event Friday.

STATS TO KNOW

— Ford drivers have won four consecutive Cup Series races at Michigan, where the contest for manufacturer bragging rights runs especially high. The three automakers will be competing for the Heritage Trophy, which will reside with the top performing marque from the weekend. Chevrolet’s last Michigan win came in 2017, and Toyota last prevailed at the 2-mile track in 2015. Ford also leads all manufacturers with 39 Michigan wins, with Chevy second on the list at 26.

— Kyle Busch enters the weekend aiming to shake a season-long funk. His 20 winless races match the most to start a season since he joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008 — this also happened in 2017 and he then won five of the next 13 races. Busch has one Michigan victory, which occurred in 2011. He has recorded top-10 finishes in each of his last six Michigan starts.

— Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick have taken turns atop the Cup Series’ win column this year, and Hamlin enters the weekend with a 5-4 edge in the category. In the series’ most recent weekend doubleheader at Pocono Raceway, Harvick led Hamlin in a 1-2 finish in the Saturday opener, then the two flip-flopped their finishing positions as Hamlin won the Sunday capper. The two have finished 1-2 twice before at Michigan, in 2010 and 2019; Harvick won both times.

— Hendrick Motorsports has hit a recent rut, going the last five races without a top-five finish for any driver in its four-car fleet. Team owner Rick Hendrick has eight Michigan wins, but none since the 2014 campaign, when Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon combined for a season sweep.

— Aric Almirola is still enjoying what has been a career-best streak of consecutive top-10 finishes. The No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing driver pushed that string to nine last weekend at New Hampshire with a seventh-place run. He has also savored good fortune in the random draws for starting position, lining up in the No. 1 spot three times in the last seven races.

Source: Racing Insights, NASCAR statistics...
 
#67
By
Staff Report NASCAR.com August 6, 2020 at 8:03 PM

Erik Jones will not return to Joe Gibbs Racing in 2021, the team announced Thursday night.

Jones, 24, is in the midst of his fourth full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series. He joined Joe Gibbs Racing in 2018 after spending his rookie season with the now-defunct Furniture Row Racing. The two organizations had an alliance, and Jones moved into the No. 20 after his rookie campaign.
 
#68
By
Zack Albert NASCAR.com August 3, 2020 at 2:44 PM

Team Penske locked up one of the NASCAR Cup Series’ top free agents Monday, reaching a contract agreement to keep Brad Keselowski in the No. 2 Ford.

Terms of the contract extension were not disclosed. The deal keeps Keselowski with the Roger Penske-owned organization that has been his home since late in the 2009 season.

“I have been racing for Team Penske for the vast majority of my NASCAR career and to continue to represent Roger Penske, our partners and his organization is exactly where I want to be,” Keselowski said in a release provided by the team. “We’ve accomplished a lot of things together over the years, including winning both the Cup and Xfinity Championships, the Brickyard 400, the Southern 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. Now, my goal is to win the Daytona 500, another championship and continue to build Team Penske into the best NASCAR team in the garage area.”
 
#69
for Daytona :

" By
Zack Albert NASCAR.com August 6, 2020 at 1:28 PM

NASCAR officials announced Thursday that starting lineups and pit-stall selection will be determined using a competition-based formula, eliminating the random-draw element from all three national series through the end of the season.

The changes are set to take effect for the NASCAR tripleheader weekend scheduled Aug. 15-16 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course.

The formula will use three performance metrics, which will be weighted and averaged to determine the lineup and pit selection order:

Finishing position from the previous race (weighted 50%)
Ranking in team owner points standings (35%)
Fastest lap from the previous race (15%)

The competition-based formula will also bring with it the awarding of the Busch Pole Award in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Cometic Gaskets Pole Award in the NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

Since NASCAR returned to racing in May after a two-month shutdown because of the COVID-19 outbreak, only one race — the Cup Series’ Coca-Cola 600 — has been held with qualifying. Competition officials announced July 21 that racing would continue without pre-race practice or qualifying through the end of the year, a measure intended to limit at-track exposure for drivers, crew, safety personnel and officials.

RELATED: Chicane added to Daytona Road Course | NASCAR sets remainder of 2020 schedule

In the majority of national series events since NASCAR’s May return, starting lineups have been set either by random draws according to groups ranked by team owner points or — in the case of consecutive events for a series at the same track — by an inversion of the top 20 finishers from the previous race. Pit stall selection had previously been determined by the finishing order from each series’ most recent race.

Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, said the new structure would draw on performance from both individual races and season-long results, rather than leaving a range of starting spots up to chance.

“We kind of consulted the playoff teams and then a few other ones as to what would be the best way to go,” Miller said. “We beat up several different things and feel really good where we landed. We feel like where we landed kind of serves both ends of the field — the perennial front-runners and then the rest of the cars still will have an opportunity to improve their starting spot. We feel like these metrics actually serve the field pretty well.”

RELATED: Choose rule in effect at most races starting at Michigan

Current rules that include the grouped random draw will remain in place for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series events at Michigan International Speedway, plus the Xfinity Series’ Saturday visit to Road America. Miller said competition officials stressed the importance of implementing the new lineup formula before the playoffs began in each series, allowing some time for officials to make tweaks to the system as needed before each circuit decides its championship.

“We want the experience. We want the teams to get used to it,” Miller said. “Anything that we may need to slightly adjust, we would like to have all that fine-tuned by the time we get to the playoffs.”

The points standings for each series are reset at the start of the postseason and again after each round of the playoffs are completed. Therefore, those resets will keep championship-eligible drivers at the front of the field when the starting lineups are calculated in the playoffs.

The new procedure is just the latest shift in what’s been an unprecedented season of adaptation to hold races after the coronavirus outbreak. Competition officials and crew chiefs had previously held virtual meetings by teleconference for the starting lineup draws, and on-track time and team rosters have been streamlined in an effort to restrict the disease’s spread.

“It’s been a heck of an industry-wide cooperative effort to be able to get us here,” Miller said, acknowledging the flexibility of NASCAR’s partners to operate under pandemic conditions. “These changes, especially the lineup one, when we did the random draw thing in the beginning, we looked at that as temporary. I think we all looked at and hoped — had our fingers crossed — that COVID was going to be a short-term thing. Well, it’s turned out to be obviously quite the opposite of that. So leading into the playoffs, it was just apparent to us that the random draw thing had served us well, but the playoffs needed something different, for sure.”
 
#71
"RULES PACKAGE

The developed rules package for the GoBowling 235 combines elements of both the 2020 rules packages currently in use. The high downforce aero package, which is also high in drag, will be combined with the 750 horsepower engine used at short tracks and road courses. This package is only scheduled to be used at the Daytona Road Course.

GOODYEAR TIRES

The Daytona Road Course is expected to be a fast course that incorporates much of the 2.5-mile superspeedway oval. Therefore, with speeds expected to be close to what cars run at Watkins Glen International – as compared to a slower, more technical course like Sonoma Raceway – the Watkins Glen tire was determined to be the best fit.

“Our history in other series at Daytona, plus our extensive experience with these cars on the oval, helped us come up with our decision,” Goodyear director of racing Greg Stucker said. “We are very familiar with the requirements of running the banking as a part of this road course, and that helped us with choosing a tire with the correct compounds. While we were not able to run a test with the Cup cars on the course, we did confirm our recommendation using the simulation data that NASCAR and the OEM’s generated. The Watkins Glen tire is a good choice for this high speed course from a technical standpoint, and it is also a known quantity for the teams.”

NASCAR’s three national series will all run the same tire. Goodyear will also bring its wet weather radials for use in the event that rain occurs during a race.

The Cup Series will be given seven tire sets. The Xfinity Series will receive six. And the Gander Truck Series will have five. All three will be allotted two sets of “wets.”

STATS TO KNOW

— Two drivers won six of the last seven road-course races. Chase Elliott and Martin Truex Jr. split the wins at three victories apiece.

— Ford has only one win in the last seven road-course races. Ryan Blaney took the 2018 checkered flag at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval after the leaders wrecked on the final corner.

— Six of the last seven road-course winners started in the top 10 when the initial green flag dropped.

— Six (again) of the last seven-road course races were won by the driver who led the most laps.

— There has not been an overtime finish in the last 17 road-course races.

— The Stage 2 winner has gone on to win the race in the last three races of 2020, and Ford drivers have won Stage 2 in the last nine races.

Source: Racing Insights, NASCAR statistics"
 
#72
RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for intermediate-sized tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 550 horsepower. The cars will use aero ducts in addition to other aerodynamic devices to increase downforce.

RELATED: Preview Darlington throwbacks

GOODYEAR TIRES

Each Cup Series team will be provided 13 sets of Goodyear “Blue Streak” Speedway Radials. The blue-streaked side wall makes a reappearance for the annual throwback weekend.

The test of man vs. machine will be on display, as teams attempt to outduel their opponents with increased tire wear and pressure-filled pit road strategy. Racing on one of the most abrasive surfaces on the circuit, tires will wear at a rapid rate and teams will likely take four tires at every opportunity.

“It will be a busy and exciting slate of racing at Darlington this weekend,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Not only are all three national series in action, it is ‘Throwback’ weekend and the first race of the Cup playoffs. Darlington is a major challenge for all involved, with the Cup cars having to go 500 miles on a tight track with an abrasive track surface. Drivers that are better at tire management will improve their lot over the course of a full fuel run — being easier on their tires early in a run and maybe giving up a few spots, but gaining a lot back as we go 30, 40, 50 laps. However the race plays out and the caution flags fall, racing at Darlington is always great for the fans watching.”

PLAYOFF STATS TO KNOW

— The Round of 16 in the NASCAR Playoffs takes place at three tracks: Darlington Raceway, Richmond Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway. With each playoff-eligible driver’s points adjusted to a baseline number of 2,000, playoff points earned during the regular season are then added. Playoff drivers who win a race in the Round of 16 automatically advance to Round of 12.

— Chad Knaus leads all active crew chiefs with his 17th NASCAR Playoffs appearance, leading the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro piloted by William Byron. Teammates Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman also join the HMS stable in the playoffs, placing them in a three-way tie for second-most cars in the field. Stewart-Haas Racing leads with four.

— Kevin Harvick has won at least one playoff race in each of the last eight seasons, earning the veteran the longest active streak in the series. The record is 13 seasons, set by seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

— Kurt Busch has made the playoffs seven times during the elimination format but has never made it to the Championship 4, giving him the most playoff appearances by a current playoff driver without making the Championship 4.

— The last playoff race won by a non-playoff eligible driver was Phoenix 2017, was won by Matt Kenseth who had been eliminated during the Round of 12.
 
#73
Bubba Wallace won’t return to Richard Petty Motorsports in 2021

By
Staff Report NASCAR.com September 10, 2020 at 1:23 PM

Richard Petty Motorsports confirmed Thursday that Bubba Wallace will not return to the organization’s No. 43 Chevrolet for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series season.

RELATED: Cup Series standings | Silly Season’s key figures

RPM officials released a statement Thursday afternoon. The news was first reported by The Athletic.

“Earlier this morning, Darrell ‘Bubba’ Wallace Jr., informed Richard Petty Motorsports he will not be returning for the 2021 NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) season,” RPM said in a prepared statement. “We will complete the season with Wallace behind the wheel of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE. We look forward to the next chapter in the making for the iconic No. 43 team. We will announce our new driver in the near future.”

Wallace, 26, will round out his third full Cup Series season with the Richard Petty-owned organization this year. He sits 23rd in the Cup Series standings with five top-10 finishes — a career best for a single season.

“This was not an easy decision as I have nothing but the utmost respect for Richard Petty and his family, but I believe it’s time for someone else to take over the reins of the No. 43,” Wallace said in a statement released on his social media channels. “Thank you to the King and everyone at Richard Petty Motorsports for giving me the opportunity to start my Cup Series career. I’ve grown so much as a driver and as a person since joining them. We’ve got nine more races together, and I hope we can finish the 2020 season on a high note.”
 
#74
NASCAR suspends Mike Wallace indefinitely

By
Staff Report NASCAR.com September 10, 2020 at 5:20 PM

NASCAR issued an indefinite suspension to driver Mike Wallace on Thursday for a social media post that violated its member conduct guidelines.

According to the penalty report, Wallace violated NASCAR Rule Book Sections 12.1, 12.8 and 12.8.1.e (Member Conduct Guidelines), the last of which states:

“Member actions that could result in a fine and/or indefinite suspension, or termination:

“Public statement and/or communication that criticizes, ridicules, or otherwise disparages another person based upon that person’s race, color, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, or handicapping condition.”

As a condition of the behavioral penalty, Wallace must also perform sensitivity training as directed by NASCAR before his reinstatement.

Wallace, 61, has driven the No. 0 Chevrolet for owner Johnny Davis in three NASCAR Xfinity Series events this season. He has four wins in 497 career Xfinity starts. Wallace also has five wins in 115 starts in the Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series and has made 197 starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.
 
#77
RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for short tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 750 horsepower. The cars will use a reduced downforce package with a shorter spoiler, a shorter splitter overhang and other aerodynamic changes.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Each team will be provided with nine sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for the race.

Richmond’s abrasive surface continues the strategic focus from Darlington – tire management. With high tire wear and additional effort to conserve tires for potential long runs, drivers and crews will have to take risks to gain spots later in the race. The good news for teams is they have run this set-up on similar tracks twice this season at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Phoenix Raceway — the site of the 2020 Cup Series Championship race.

“We’re on a back-to-back stretch of the NASCAR playoff schedule where we race on high-wear race tracks,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “Richmond is known for several things – being a racy short track, being a favorite of drivers and fans, and now as a high-wear track. The tire set-up for Richmond is aligned with two other tracks that are of similar length — Loudon and Phoenix. That is especially important in this current racing climate with no practice. Having the same tire set-up on a similar track will help teams tune in quicker on their car set-ups, which is even more important with the shorter race distances of short-track racing.”

PLAYOFF STATS TO KNOW

— Sunday’s race at Richmond is the third race in a slate of five consecutive nighttime races. That stretch continues with the Round of 16 finale at Bristol Motor Speedway and the Round of 12 opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

— Heading into the 28th race of the season, this marks the latest Kyle Busch has gone without a win. With nine races left to extend his 15-year winning streak, his best chance may come at the next two tracks, where he has 14 career wins between the two.

— Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and William Byron are the only drivers to finish in the top 10 in both races at tracks under 1-mile this season. Keselowski, Busch and Byron each currently sit above the Round of 16 cutline.

— Since May, Kevin Harvick has passed Junior Johnson, Ned Jarrett, Lee Petty, Rusty Wallace and Kyle Busch on the all-time wins list — 46% of Harvick’s wins have come after turning 40.

Source: Racing Insights

Found Them Finally...!!!
 
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#78
RULES PACKAGE

The 2020 NASCAR rules package for short tracks will be in effect with a tapered spacer used to set a target of 750 horsepower. The cars will use a reduced downforce package with a shorter spoiler, a shorter splitter overhang and other aerodynamic changes.

GOODYEAR TIRES

There are three factors that stand out when it comes to racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. First, the banking creates more speed and load than the “flatter” short tracks like Martinsville Speedway or Richmond Raceway. This makes Bristol race more like a speedway than a short track in some ways. Second, Bristol has a full concrete surface, which wears tires fairly aggressively when the track is “green” with no rubber built up on it. Goodyear designs its tread compounds for Bristol to take the right amount of rubber and not “cake up” on the surface, leaving cars with a good level of grip. Third is the fact that Goodyear, NASCAR and the track operations staff will work together to apply the PJ1 grip compound to the lower four feet of both sets of corners for this weekend’s races. While this does necessarily impact tire wear, its primary purpose is to give drivers a competitive, alternate lane late in which to race.

“Bristol provides several unique challenges for both Goodyear and the race teams,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “We have worked hard in recent years to refine the tread compounds that we bring there, as well as the other concrete tracks on the circuit. The key with concrete is to get it to take rubber, but just the right amount of rubber. It is easy to see that process once the race starts as the track turns from white to black, and lighten again as cars pick up some of that rubber when they are not at speed under cautions. … While the track has progressive banking, adding the grip compound to the bottom lane in the corners gives the drivers a viable, second groove.”

PLAYOFF STATS TO KNOW

— Saturday night’s race at Bristol will be the first NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs race ever at the track.

— Denny Hamlin is the only Bristol winner in the last eight races that is not a past Cup Series Champion, and the only active driver that is not a past Champion in the last 15.

— The only two drivers to finish inside the top five in each playoff race so far are Austin Dillon and Joey Logano.

— Joe Gibbs Racing and Team Penske have combined to win each of the last 11 races at short tracks. Martin Truex Jr. (three) and Brad Keselowski (two) are the only drivers who have taken the checkered flag in the last five.

— In May, there were 17 cautions at Bristol — the most in the last 28 trips to the track and most in any race since Martinsville in 2015 (18).
 
#80
"RULES PACKAGE

Cup Series cars will feature the same 1.5-mile racing package used in 2019 and the 2020 spring Vegas race, with aero ducts and a tapered-spacer engine generating a targeted 550 horsepower.

GOODYEAR TIRES

Each Cup team will have nine sets of Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials for the race.

With limited on-track practice time and testing, Goodyear Racing has relied even more heavily on feedback from the drivers and their teams to develop an effective compound at each track. After receiving this feedback at the conclusion of the first half of the season, changes were made to the right-side compound for a series of tracks, starting this weekend at Las Vegas. Increased grip at tracks with lower tire wear will be an increased focus with the new compound to allow optimum performance.

“Key to making the optimum tire recommendation is the review of all the data that is generated, whether it be from practices throughout a weekend, testing, or as is the only opportunity right now, from the actual races,” said Greg Stucker, Goodyear’s director of racing. “What we’ve seen and heard at several of the low-wear tracks, is the Cup cars could stand to have a little more grip, so we have made a step in that direction for Las Vegas, as well as Kansas and Texas. Vegas and Texas shared the same tire set-up at their earlier races, and we brought that same right-side to Kansas as well, so they have been basically aligned all season. They remain so with this new right side as we enhance the grip level at all three.”

PLAYOFF STATS TO KNOW

— Kevin Harvick holds the longest active streak of NASCAR Playoffs victories with nine consecutive seasons featuring at least one trip to Victory Lane. Jimmie Johnson is the all-time record holder at 13 in a row.

— Ford dominated the Round of 16, winning each of the three races: Kevin Harvick winning twice (Darlington Raceway and Bristol Motor Speedway) and Brad Keselowski once (Richmond Raceway).

— Only two of the 163 NASCAR Playoffs races were won by drivers getting their first win: Clint Bowyer in 2007 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Brian Vickers in 2006 at Talladega Superspeedway.

— Nine of the remaining playoff drivers have wins at tracks in the Round of 12, but only six of them have ever made it to the Championship 4."
 
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