NASCAR Notebook: Indy Crowns NASCAR Thoroughbreds

Judging the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s degree of difficulty requires only a reading of past winners of the Crown Royal Presents The Curtiss Shaver 400 at the Brickyard. Fourteen of 18 races were won by past or future NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champions.

Fitting, perhaps, that drivers with a combined 11 championships – Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt – won the Speedway’s first two races.

Earnhardt was enshrined with the first class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Gordon, whose 85 victories rank highest among active drivers and third all-time, surely will follow along with several additional Brickyard winners.

Winning at Indianapolis doesn’t guarantee a NASCAR Sprint Cup championship. But it certainly doesn’t hurt.

In eight seasons, most recently Jimmie Johnson in 2009, the Indianapolis winner claimed that season’s title. Johnson also accomplished the “double” in 2006 and 2008. Others who doubled are Gordon (1998, 2001), Dale Jarrett (1999), Bobby Labonte (2000) and Tony Stewart (2005).

Gordon finished second in last year’s race less than a second behind upset winner Paul Menard, who was in a fuel-saving mode but had enough in the tank to reach the checkered flag.

“Growing up here and going to the track numerous times as a kid, there is just something special about each trip here,” said Gordon, born in California but an Indiana resident during late childhood and teen years racing open wheel cars. “The four corners look the same but each is unique with different transitions and bumps.

“As a driver, factoring that in with a few little dips, the way the wind is blowing, the radius and everything else can give you an advantage. But the car has to be good, as well. We’ve had the best car or one of the best cars in each of the races we’ve won here.”

That racing at Indianapolis makes a driver part of motorsports history isn’t lost on a number of drivers – especially those who have not been able to win at the Brickyard.

“It’s been a pretty cool race track … (because) of all the history and everything’s that’s been built around the race track and the 100 years it’s been going,” said Kyle Busch, who finished 10th a year ago.

Carl Edwards also cited the track’s history and traditions in making the race special.

“If you watch the past winners and seeing Paul (Menard) and Jamie (McMurray) and the emotion of that win and how important it was to their teams, I think the guys that haven’t won it dream of being standing there on those bricks,” he said. “It would be very cool.”

Repeating Menard’s Indy Breakthrough Seems Improbable

Paul Menard’s 2011 Brickyard 400 victory was both unexpected and unprecedented. He was the first to notch his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Menard’s feat is unlikely to be duplicated if for no other reason virtually all of Sunday’s contenders already are career winners. The highest-ranked driver without a previous win is Aric Almirola, who sits 22nd in the standings.

Almirola, with a single career top-five finish, would be an even greater longshot than Menard, who was 19th in points pre-Indy a year ago. It’s more probable to look at who might be a first-time Brickyard 400 winner. The three Roush Fenway Racing drivers would seem statistically logical – except that a Ford hasn’t won at the Speedway since 1999. Jack Roush continues to pursue his first Indy victory.

Points leader Matt Kenseth owns the best Driver Rating (96.4) among non-Indianapolis winners ranked among the top 12. He has the most top fives (five) and top 10s (seven) among full-time competitors without an Indy victory.

Greg Biffle ranks third-best among all drivers in Average Running Position (11.0) among non-winners in the top 12. His Driver Rating (95.9) is second to RFR teammate Kenseth.

Among Indy non-winners ranked among the top 12, Carl Edwards has the best average finish (11.0). He’s first among all competitors with 435 Green Flag Passes.

The driver most overdue for an Indianapolis victory? That would be Mark Martin, who has a pair of second-place finishes, six top fives and 11 top 10s and a Coors Light Pole. Martin has a series-best Average Running Position of 8.9 and second-best Driver Rating (104.5). Martin and his No. 55 Michael Waltrip Racing Toyota will have to overcome one significant handicap. A Toyota has yet to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Home Boy Gordon ‘Wild’ About Indy

Jeff Gordon, a four-time series champion and four-time winner at the Brickyard, needs to become a five-time winner at the Brickyard if he hopes to become a five-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

There’s reason to believe. Gordon, who grew up in Pittsboro, Ind., seems to have shirked all that bad luck that plagued him to start the 2012 season. All those 20-something and 30-something finishes have morphed into top 10s. Good karma has finally enveloped the NASCAR legend.

Four of Gordon’s last five races have been top 10s. Likewise, four of Gordon’s last five finishes at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have been top-10 finishes, including last year’s runner-up finish to Paul Menard. Though Gordon’s last Indy win came in 2004, he’s enjoyed recent success at the historic venue – eclipsing the 100-point Driver Rating mark in three of the last five events.

For Gordon, entry into the top 10 is a mathematical pipe dream. Though not officially eliminated from top-10 consideration, his best route into the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is the Wild Card. After race No. 26 at Richmond, the top 10 drivers make the 12-driver Chase. Spots 11 and 12 go to those drivers outside the top 10 with the most wins, provided they’re in the top 20. Gordon, currently in 17th, is well within the Wild Card discussion. After all, Brad Keselowski was 23rd after 19 races last year, and wound up in the No. 1 Wild Card spot.

Chevrolet Teams Rock-Solid At Indianapolis

Chevrolet, celebrating its 100th anniversary, heads to Indianapolis closing in on a major milestone – 700 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series wins.

Sitting on 696 victories, another IMS win for Chevrotlet seems likely. General Motors’ cars haven’t been unbeatable at the Speedway – but close to it.

A Chevrolet has found its way to the Brickyard’s Victory Lane in nine consecutive seasons beginning with Kevin Harvick’s win in 2003. That’s the best winning streak at a currently scheduled track. Chevrolet has won 10 of the last 11 Indianapolis races and 13 times overall.

Hendrick Motorsports has produced the most Chevrolet victories – seven with Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson.

Richard Childress Racing’s three wins were recorded by three different drivers, Dale Earnhardt, Harvick and Paul Menard. Harvick is of particular interest: He’s the only driver in the top seven without a win this season.

Joe Gibbs Racing has a pair of wins, both by Tony Stewart.

Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates has a single win with Jamie McMurray.

Brickyard Wins Extra Special For Three Hoosiers

Indianapolis represents a five-star victory for any driver in Sunday’s field. It’s a special race at a special place, but even more so for Indiana natives Tony Stewart, Ryan Newman and David Stremme. All three hail from the Hoosier State.

Stewart has a pair of NASCAR Sprint Cup victories at the Brickyard in 2005 and 2007. Sunday’s race is the fifth anniversary of his July 29, 2007, win.

Newman, his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, and Stremme – both from South Bend – are still waiting.

Stremme hasn’t competed in the race since 2009, when he finished 16th. Newman, who continues to pursue a milestone 50th Coors Light Pole, finished fourth in 2002 as a rookie – his only top five at Indy.

“The history of the sport, the history of motorsports at the Speedway is something I have always appreciated, and I look forward to trying to add my name to that record book,” Newman said. “To me, it’s still awesome to either be a fan or a driver at Indianapolis. To come down the front chute and hear the echo of the car, the horsepower, we approach 205 mph or whatever it is.”

A victory, his second of the season, also would go a long way toward qualifying Newman for the Chase likely as a “wild card.” Newman ranks third in “wild card” standings, nine points behind Kyle Busch.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Notes

Trevor Bayne will run a special paint scheme this weekend, honoring NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Leonard Wood. The No. 21 Wood Brothers Ford will have a throwback candy apple red paint scheme with a photo of Leonard and the NHOF logo featured on the hood. In 1965, Ford and Colin Chapman hired the Woods to service Jim Clark’s car in the Indianapolis 500. An internal device allowing fuel to flow more quickly from a gravity-based fuel tank developed by the Woods dramatically reduced pit times and was key in Clark’s victory. … Milestones: With a lead lap finish at Indianapolis, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will tie the record for consecutive races finishing on the lead lap (21). He already holds the record for consecutive lead lap finishes to start a season. … Indy product Ryan Newman continues his quest for 50 Coors Light Poles. He has yet to win a pole at IMS; his best start there was second in 2003. … 2011 Brickyard winner Jamie McMurray will make his 350th start on Sunday, looking for his 100th career top-10 finish. … On Tuesday, Furniture Row Racing announced that Todd Berrier would take over as crew chief for the N0. 78 driven by Regan Smith. Berrier’s first win was at Indianapolis, with Kevin Harvick in 2003. Smith won last year’s Southern 500 at Darlington, another one of NASCAR’s crown jewel events.

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Nationwide Series: The Brickyard Opens Its Doors To The NASCAR Nationwide Series

Eighteen years after Indianapolis Motor Speedway first welcomed the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series to its historic track, it is once again opening its doors to another national NASCAR series – the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

On Saturday, July 28, the nation’s No. 2 motorsports series will take the green flag at the iconic 2.5-mile oval in the series’ inaugural event at the track. Among those slated to appear in the event is the winner of last year’s NASCAR premier series race, Paul Menard.

The inaugural event at the famed track is the fifth time since 2005 that a new track has been added to the series’ schedule, the most recent being Road America in 2010. The event is a homecoming of sorts for Joe Balash, the NASCAR Nationwide Series director, who is a native of Hobart, Ind. As a youngster, Balash and his friends watched Indianapolis 500s through fences and makeshift scaffolding that they built.

In addition, ML Motorsports, owned by Mary Louise Miller, is based in Warsaw, Ind. The team’s main driver, Johanna Long, will pilot the No. 70 Chevrolet. In 12 series starts this season, Long has a best finish of 12th (at Daytona in July) and currently sits in 18th place.

Danica Patrick Has Competitive Edge At The Brickyard

Danica Patrick returns to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a track where she is in the record books as the only female ever to lead an Indianapolis 500 and the highest-finishing female in the event’s history.

When Patrick returns to the Brickyard this weekend, however, she will be at the helm of a 3,450-pound stock car rather than a much lighter IndyCar (1,525 pounds). In seven races in the IndyCar Series at Indy, Patrick has six top 10s with a best finish of third in the 2009 race.

Currently in her first full NASCAR Nationwide Series season, Patrick has one top-10 finish (eighth at Texas), one Coors Light Pole (Daytona) and has led 18 total laps this year. Her best series finish came last year at Las Vegas, where she finished fourth. She is currently ninth in the points standings with an average finish of 19.6.

It remains to be seen whether her experience and strong finishes at Indy provide her an edge that many of her NNS competitors don’t have.

Another driver scheduled to compete in the inaugural event that might have the advantage of experience at Indianapolis Motor Speedway is former Indianapolis 500 champion Sam Hornish Jr. There is also a contingent of 19 other drivers entered in the event who have NASCAR Sprint Cup Series experience at the track.

Round Three: Dash 4 Cash Hits Indianapolis

Big money rolls into Indianapolis this weekend when the NASCAR Nationwide Series hits the famous 2.5-mile speedway for the first time in series history. Not only does winning at Indianapolis Motor Speedway have a level of prestige in itself, but an additional $100,000 up for grabs among Elliott Sadler, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Justin Allgaier and Michael Annett should sweeten the pot even more in the third straight Dash 4 Cash race.

Although Kenny Wallace finished higher (fourth) than Annett (fifth) coming out of the Chicagoland race, Wallace’s car was a post-entry, meaning it was entered following the entry deadline. According to the entry blank/rule book, the driver and car owner of a post-entry do not receive driver and owner championship points. The D4C rules state that the driver must receive driver championship points in the event to be eligible for the bonus or to become eligible for the following D4C race.

Last weekend’s D4C recipient and race winner Sadler is on a roll this season. He has led the standings for 14 of the 18 weeks of the season including the last seven consecutive weeks. In 18 starts he has posted two poles, three wins and seven top fives and is tied with RCR teammate Austin Dillon for the series’ most top 10s with 14. Sadler extended his points lead with his win at Chicago to 11 points over Dillon.

Sadler holds one advantage at Indianapolis over the three other Dash 4 Cash eligible drivers: he has competed at the track before. Sadler has made 12 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts at Indianapolis, logging 1,452 laps and posting two top-five finishes.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Notes

Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon’s younger brother, is scheduled to compete this weekend at IMS in the No. 51 Chevrolet. This will be Dillon’s second NNS career start. He ranks second in NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points. … Last year at this time, Travis Pastrana was set to make his NASCAR debut in the Nationwide Series. However, injuries suffered in an X-Games stunt the night before curtailed his inaugural series race until April in Richmond. He’ll finally get his chance at Indy this weekend. … Twelve drivers that entered in the inaugural NNS race at Indianapolis are competing on Sunday in the NSCS race. … In 119 career series races, Annett had yet to produce a top-five finish. In three of his last four races, the Des Moines, Iowa, native has three top fives and currently is sixth in the points. … Milestone Watch: Stenhouse will attempt to post his 50th NNS top-10 finish this weekend at IMS.

Camping World Trucks: Where Do The Trophies Go After The Celebration Ends?

Every driver looks forward to holding the trophy in Victory Lane. What happens to the hardware after the champagne is sprayed, the photographers make their last shot and the lights go out?

“When I first bring home my trophies they start out on the kitchen counter for two or three days,” said James Buescher, who’s picked up four trophies – three in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and another in NASCAR Nationwide. “Then they move to the fire place mantel for a month or two before ending up upstairs in our game room or my office.

“I really wanted to put the Kentucky trophy in that room, but it was too big so I had to move it to my desk in the office.”

Timothy Peters’ July 14 Iowa Speedway trophy went into a study just inside his house’s front door, a room that’s beginning to bulge with memorabilia.

“We’ve packed it up with what I’ve accomplished so far with our poles and our checkered flags and our trophies,” said Peters. “Sara (his wife) is pretty good with it, too, because she knows as long as the trophies are coming in that the house payment gets paid every month.”

First-time NCWTS winner Justin Lofton’s Charlotte trophy is front and center in his home’s den, next to a fireplace and surrounded by the mementoes of success in previous racing endeavors.

“I am hoping to keep filling it up,” Lofton said. “Fans can actually see a video of my trophy room on my Facebook page.”

Buescher Must Keep Winning To Close Championship Gap

For Buescher, the next three races likely will tell the tale of championship contender or too little, too late.

Buescher became the series’ first three-time winner last weekend at Chicagoland Speedway but remains a distant fourth in the standings, 35 points behind leader Peters.

A year ago, before Buescher had tasted a NASCAR national series victory, he ran off finishes of third, fourth and fourth at Pocono, Michigan and Bristol, respectively – races won by Kevin Harvick.

“I can’t see why we can’t go there with the goal of winning the race,” Buescher said after his latest victory.

That’s likely what it will take to significantly chop Peters’ advantage. The net gain at Chicago was five points as Peters finished third, his seventh top-five performance. The difference between winning and leading the most laps and 36th place is 40 points. Twelve races remain on the schedule.

“We’ve gotten that many (points) back before. We’ve just got to keep at it,” said Buescher, who failed to qualify for the second race of the season a year ago and took the standings lead in mid-September. He ultimately finished third behind Austin Dillon and Johnny Sauter.

Buescher will be on track at least once every weekend through the season’s conclusion competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series when not in his Turner Motorsports Chevrolet truck.

Points-Eligible Competitors Eye Pocono’s Victory Lane

Pocono Raceway remains an empty page for NASCAR Camping World Truck points-eligible drivers. Elliott Sadler and Harvick, both NASCAR Sprint Cup competitors, won the track’s first two races in 2010-11.

Series regulars are hopeful of returning the favor in the Aug. 4 Pocono Mountains 125.

Matt Crafton, currently one of the hottest commodities in the series with four consecutive top-five finishes, was third in 2010. Buescher, the series’ most recent winner, likewise was third a year ago.

Sauter and Lofton, who led the points standings earlier this year, also have top-five finishes at the 2.5-mile track.

Todd Bodine led the inaugural race. Parker Kligerman, fifth in current points, led last year’s race as a Sunoco Rookie of the Year contender.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Notes

Ty Dillon’s Sunoco Rookie of the Year record, season-opening top-10 streak ended with a finish of 12th at Chicagoland Speedway.  Dillon and Peters are the only drivers to have finished nine times among the top 10 in the season’s first 10 races. … Lofton won the Keystone Light Pole at Chicagoland to become the year’s eighth different No. 1 qualifier. … The Aug. 4 Pocono Mountains 125 marks the halfway point of the 2012 season. August is a busy month with four races on the schedule.