Richmond: Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

• Total Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Wins: 201

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm Beach, Fla.,100 miles, .5-mile track

• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Kurt Busch, 6/29/08, Loudon, NH, 317.4-miles, 1.058-mile track, 2008 Lenox Industrial Tools 301

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at RIR: Lee Petty, Richmond 200 (1953), 45.535 avg. speed

• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at RIR: Kasey Kahne, Chevy American Revolution 400 (2005), 100.316 avg. speed

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at this event: Cotton Owens, Capital City 300 (1964), 61.995 avg. speed

• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at this event: Jeremy... // PaddockTalk

Richmond: Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) @ Richmond International Raceway

• Friday, September 5, Qualifying @ 6:05 PM (ET) – ESPN2, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

• Saturday, September 6, Race start @ 7:30 PM (ET) – ABC, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) @ Richmond International Raceway

• Friday, September 5, Qualifying @ 4:05 PM (ET) – ESPN2, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

• Friday, September 5, Race start @ 8:00 PM (ET) – ESPN2, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) @ Gateway International Raceway

• Saturday, September 6, Qualifying @ 11:05 AM (ET) – SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite... // PaddockTalk

In Entertainment (Enlarge photo)

For those of you who wish to know the NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Results, it was Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet. Johnson won the Pepsi 500 in front of a crowd of 70,000; it was his 36th victory in 244 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.

The win is Johnson’s third victory as well as his 13th top 10 finish in 2008. His last twelve races have been quite remarkable; he has had eight top 10 finishes in... // In Entertainment

PaddockTalk (Enlarge photo)

California: NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Results - Johnson, Chevrolet Win

Jimmie Johnson is back on top in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series, and building strong momentum heading into 'The Chase'.

Credit: PaddockTalk/Bill Brennan

Jimmie Johnson and his No. 48 Lowe's/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet won the Pepsi 500 in front of a crowd of 70,000 to grap his 36th victory in 244 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. This is Johnson's third victory and 13th top-10 finish in 2008. This is also his third victory and eighth top-10 finish in 12 races at Auto Club Speedway in... // PaddockTalk

California: Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Quotes, Recap

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Impala SS, put on a dominant performance on the way to winning the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway. The two-time and defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) champion led 228 of 250 laps to score his third win of the 2008 season.

He became the first driver to win from the pole in 17 races at Auto Club Speedway.

In capturing his 36th career victory and third at the speedway closest to his home town of El Cajon, CA, Johnson secured a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship for the fifth consecutive season. He is third in the standings.

With tonight's victory, Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) has a total of seven (7) wins at ACS, more than any other team owner.... // PaddockTalk

California: Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recap, Quotes

• Denny Hamlin (third) earned Toyota’s top finish in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) race in California.

• Camry driver Kyle Busch finished seventh, recording his 17th top-10 performance in 25 NSCS starts.

• David Reutimann earned a Cup Series career-best result of ninth-place in Sunday’s race.

• Other Camry drivers in the field included Brian Vickers (12th), AJ Allmendinger (14th), Tony Stewart (22nd), Dave Blaney (29th), Michael Waltrip (33rd), Mike Skinner (35th) and Ken Schrader (41st).

• Camry drivers have now earned 36 top-five finishes and 55 top-10 finishes in 2008.

• The Toyota Racing Development (TRD) facility in Costa Mesa, Calif., provides engines to... // PaddockTalk

California: Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recap, Quotes - Kahne 8th

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger) Finished 8th

ON THE RACE TONIGHT: "Our Budweiser Dodge was a good racecar tonight. Kenny (Francis, crew chief) was making changes to it all night, but we just could never get over the hump and into the top-five. We came into the race with the mindset that we had to run inside the top-10 and finish in-front of Clint (Boyer) and David (Ragan) and we did. Unfortunately, just not enough. I'm proud of my guys and the racecar that they gave me."

ON THE CHASE BATTLE: "We gained a little in the points tonight, but not enough to make that much of difference. I said earlier in the week that not only do we have to run well to catch the guys in front of me, but they have to stumble a... // PaddockTalk

California: Ford NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recap, Quotes - Biffle Second

DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion (Finished 13th) – "We dug ourselves a bigger hole, but we just didn’t have the speed all night and battled poor track position. We got it decent there at the end. If it would have been a 600-mile race, maybe we could have picked up a few more spots, but we were just adjusting it seemed like every run and just didn’t have the speed. I guess we’re in the same position at Richmond as we were in now, we’ve just got to outrun everybody else."

DID YOU DO THE BEST YOU COULD? "Definitely. They can tell me where the 07 is at and can tell me where everybody is at, but the bottom line is you’re driving as hard as you can doing all you can do to... // PaddockTalk

California: NASCAR Nationwide Race Results - Busch, Toyota Win Again

In Fontana California, the incredible Kyle Busch continued his dominantion of stock car racing and won the Camping World RV Service 300 presented by Coleman It his 18th victory in 131 NASCAR Nationwide Series races, his seventh victory and 14th top-10 finish in 2008. This is also the Toyota driver's first victory and sixth top-10 finish in eight races at Auto Club Speedway. He becomes the second driver to win in all three NASCAR national... // PaddockTalk

California: NASCAR Nationwide Qualifying Results - Busch, Toyota On Pole

Kyle Busch won the Coors Light Pole Award for the CAMPING WORLD RV SERVICE 300 presented by COLEMAN with a lap of 40.586 seconds, 177.401 mph. This is his 14th pole in 131 NASCAR Nationwide Series races, and his third pole and 17th top-10 start in 2008. This is also his first pole in eight races at Auto Club Speedway.

Jeff Burton qualified second and posted his eighth... // PaddockTalk

California: Toyota NASCAR Nationwide Race Recap - Busch Wins

Kyle Busch led three times for 144 of 150 laps en route to his seventh Nationwide Series victory of the season.

• This is the 16th win for Toyota in the first 27 NNS races of 2008.

• Other Camry drivers in Saturday evening’s 300-mile race include Brian Vickers (third), Joey Logano (sixth), David Reutimann (eighth) and Mike Wallace (16th).

• Riverside, Calif.-native Josh Wise finished 22nd in his No. 22 Supercuts Camry for Fitz Motorsports.

• Long Beach, Calif.-native Jason Leffler earned a 26th-place result after his left front tire went down with 13 laps to go.

• Four Camry drivers currently are in the top-10 in the unofficial NNS point standings following California with Reutimann... // PaddockTalk

California: Ford NASCAR Nationwide Race Quotes, Recap

DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 Discount Tire Ford Fusion (Finished 9th) – "Considering the last couple of weeks that was pretty good. We unloaded and we were average, but we just kept working on our Discount Tire Ford Fusion and there toward the end of the race I think we were pretty good. If we could start the weekend all over again, I think we’d be alright. We’ve got to keep working. It was nice to get a top-10 out of this thing, but we’re still off from where we need to be. We improved from the drop of the green flag, but we’ve got to get to where we can unload better, start better, qualify better and just kind of clean up our act a little."

CARL EDWARDS – No. 60 Save-a-Lot Ford... // PaddockTalk

California: Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying Recap, Quotes

DAVE BLANEY, No. 22 Caterpillar Toyota Camry, Bill Davis Racing Starting Position: 8th

How is your Toyota handling this weekend?

"We’ve been pleased with it all day. We started on race trim this morning and it felt like it was pretty good and really we didn’t make a good mock qualifying lap at all. That was a huge improvement from practice. The car has been solid all day so I thought we could kind of hit it right. I also think temperature helped us out here at the end."

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M€™s Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 11th

How was your qualifying run?

"It wasn’t too bad. The car acted real well and responded good to the changes that we made. I kind of under drove the... // PaddockTalk

California: Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying Recap, Quotes - Johnson On Pole

Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Impala SS, captured his fourth Coors Light Pole Award of the season for the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway.

It is the 17th pole of Johnson's career and his first at the Southern California track.

Johnson's Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon, No. 24 DuPont/Pepsi Impala SS, will start third in Sunday night's race.

Dale Earnhardt, Inc. teammates Martin Truex, Jr., No. 1 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Impala SS, and Aric Almirola, No. 8 U.S. Army Impala SS, posted times quick enough to secure top-10 starting positions for the 250-lap race. Truex will roll off seventh and Almirola is 10th in the 43-car starting order.

A.J. Allmendinger, Kasey... // PaddockTalk

California: Ford NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying Recap - McMurray Best In 13th

DAVID RAGAN – No. 6 AAA Ford Fusion (Qualified 22nd)

"It wasn’t too bad. Our AAA Ford was a little tight in practice and we made some pretty big changes. It was close, but still not perfect. I think we spent a little more time in race trim today than we normally do, so if that could wind up in the top 15, that would be a comfortable starting spot for us. Obviously, this place is pretty easy to pass if you have a good car, so I feel like our car is good. It unloaded good and we’ve still got a few more practices before they drop the green flag."

CAN YOU TRANSLATE ANYTHING FROM MICHIGAN TO HERE? "A little bit. The temperature is so drastic. This place is very temperature sensitive and loses a... // PaddockTalk

California: Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying Recap, Quotes - Kahne Fourth

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser Dodge Charger) Qualified 4th

"Our Budweiser Dodge has been handling well all weekend. It wasn’t the fastest car either time we’ve been on the track today, but we’ve been close. We will find out tomorrow how good our car is in race trim. We’ll keep working on it tomorrow and hopefully, Sunday night we’ll have a shot (at the win). We want to be on the track as much as we possibly can. That’s how we can make the car better, so we’ll use both practice sessions tomorrow to tune the car for a race setup."

Patrick Carpentier (No 10 Sears Auto Center/Valvoline Dodge Charger) Qualified 5th

"It was a good lap. I was discussing the changes with... // PaddockTalk

California: Toyota NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) @ Auto Club Speedway

• Friday, August 29, Qualifying @ 3:40 PM (PT) – SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

• Sunday, August 31, Race start @ 5:00 PM (PT) – ESPN, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) @ Auto Club Speedway

• Saturday, August 30, Qualifying @ 2:05 PM (PT) – SPEED, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

• Saturday, August 30, Race start @ 7:00 PM (PT) – ESPN2, MRN and Sirius Satellite Radio (Ch. 128)

CALIFORNIA CHRONICLE: This weekend marks the fourth trip to Auto Club Speedway (formerly California Speedway) for the Toyota Camry in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) competition. In the... // PaddockTalk

California: Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

DODGE MOTORSPORTS HISTORICAL DATA

• Total Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Wins: 201

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Lee Petty, 2/1/53, West Palm Beach, Fla.,100 miles, .5-mi. track

• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win: Kurt Busch, 6/29/08, Loudon, NH, 317.4-miles, 1.058-mile track, 2008 Lenox Industrial Tools 301

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at ACS: Kasey Kahne, SONY HD 500 (2006), 144.462 avg. speed.

• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at ACS: Kasey Kahne, Kasey, SONY HD 500 (2006)

• First Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at this event: Kasey Kahne, SODY HD 500 (2006)

• Last Dodge NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Win at this event: Kasey Kahne, SONY HD 500... // PaddockTalk

California: Chevrolet NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

TEAM CHEVY IMPALA SS INSIDE THE GARAGE AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY: ALBA COLON, GM RACING PROGRAM MANAGER NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: "Although we have had a test and a race this season at Auto Club Speedway, there are several factors that will present a new set of challenges for our Chevy teams as they dial in their Impala SS race cars for Sunday night's race.

"The weather will be significantly different than when we raced in February. It will be much hotter and the air much dryer. Although we are running the same tire as we did earlier this season, the increased track temperatures dictate changes in how the cars are setup.

"Practice takes place in the heat of the day, but the race is a night. It is almost an art form for the crew chiefs to... // PaddockTalk