Chicagoland: Robby Gordon NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recap

For a weekend that was interrupted by rain, the No. 7 Jim Beam team persevered to finish Saturday’s LifeLock.com 400 in 25th position. After qualifying was cancelled on Thursday evening due to inclement weather, Robby Gordon started the race in 31st, as the field was set by 2008 owner points.

In the first few laps of the 267-lap event, Gordon radioed his crew to let them know that the No. 7 “SaveOurName.com†Jim Beam Dodge was lacking grip. As Gordon settled in for the first race at Chicagoland Speedway under the lights, the car’s grip began to come to him. By lap 15, he commented that “we’re coming now.â€

Due to unknown tire conditions, NASCAR informed the drivers prior to the race that there... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Kevin Harvick NASCAR Nationwide Race Recap

Kevin Harvick and the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Camping World Chevrolet started the Dollar General 300 from the fourth position but had to battle back from a lap one incident to finish 18th.

"We had a good night tonight," said Harvick. "Despite the incident on lap one, the guys worked hard and we got a decent finish for our Camping World Chevrolet."

Starting from the fourth position, Harvick was immediately involved in an incident on lap one when the No. 20 car missed a shift, causing damage to the front of the No. 33 car when Harvick couldn’t avoid the slowing car. The team quickly created a game plan to fix the damage sustained in the incident.

Sliding backwards after the contact, Harvick lost one lap on lap... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Dave Blaney NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recap

Dave Blaney and the Caterpillar Racing team lined up 30th for the start of the LifeLock 400 Saturday at Chicagoland Speedway. Blaney spent much of the evening running in the top 20 and eventually took the checkered flag in the 23rd spot.

The No. 22 Bill Davis Racing team was scheduled to be the ninth of 45 teams to take to the track for qualifying Thursday evening, but Mother Nature had other plans. Teams were able to get in most of the first practice session before rain blanketed the track. NASCAR officials worked hard to get the track dry for qualifying, but a severe storm moved into the area and the remainder of the day’s activities were cancelled. The field was set based on current owners’ points, and the Caterpillar... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Marcos Ambrose NASCAR Nationwide Race Recap

The tough Chicagoland Speedway threw everything at Marcos Ambrose and the No. 59 Kingsford Match Light Ford last Friday night, but it couldn’t put the race team away in the Dollar General 300. Despite fighting an ill-handling car early and track position late, the JTG Racing-prepared Ford Fusion still posted a 15th-place finish to keep the team pushing toward a Top-10 spot in the NASCAR Nationwide Series standings.

"I’ve got arms like a gorilla because I’ve been hanging on all night," Ambrose said. "We had a pretty good car. It would’ve been nice to be a few spots up, but we just couldn’t get track position. We struggled for the first few laps. The car was good for, like, Lap 15 to Lap 30, and... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Kyle Busch NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Recap - Victory

The superlatives just keep coming in. Every single week, every single race, Kyle Busch continues to shock and amaze NASCAR fans. This week, Busch admittedly managed to surprise himself for once. He dominated most of the night, leading 165 of 267 laps in the LifeLock.com 400. But it took a bold move to the outside of Jimmie Johnson on the final restart to pull out yet another victory, his seventh of the 2008 season. With the win he expanded his points lead to a season-high 262 points over second-place Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

“I have to thank these guys. I gave up on myself and didn’t think I could do that,†Busch said after the race. “I’ve watched Jimmie Johnson do that a few times and I don’t... // PaddockTalk

Auto Racing Daily (Enlarge photo)

Marcos Ambrose has finished a solid 15th place in the Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois.

The Australian qualified 24th in the #59 Kingsford Match Light Ford Fusion around the 1.5-mile speedway and made a steady start to the race and gradually moved forward as the race wore on.

Shortly after the final series of pit stops, held under green flag conditions, Ambrose went a lap down with 39 laps remaining while running... // Auto Racing Daily

Chicagoland: Marcos Ambrose NASCAR Nationwide Race Recap

Marcos Ambrose has finished a solid 15th place in the Dollar General 300 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Illinois today.

The Australian qualified 24th in the #59 Kingsford Match Light Ford Fusion around the 1.5-mile speedway and made a steady start to the race and gradually moved forward as the race wore on.

Shortly after the final series of pit stops, held under green flag conditions, Ambrose went a lap down with 39 laps remaining while running in 15th place.

Ambrose brought the #59 Kingsford Match Light Ford Fusion home in 15th position as the first car one lap down, just ahead of defending NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Carl Edwards and Sprint Cup drivers Matt Kenseth and Kevin Harvick.

Kyle Busch won today’s... // PaddockTalk

Edwards is at +600 on the odds list to win this week, while Jimmie Johnson checks in behind him at +700. Edwards finished third at Chicagoland last season, his best career result on the track, while Johnson had posted four straight Top 6 finishes at Chicagoland before crashing and finishing in 37th place last year.

If you’re looking for an underdog to win this weekend you might want to take a look at Jeff Gordon . The oddsmakers have him back at +1400 to win this weekend, but he’s won at Chicagoland before (in 2006). Gordon held the lead for 46 laps at Daytona last week, but made a big blunder near the end which caused him to crash and finish 30th.

Have your eye on a... // BetUs.com

Chicagoland: Kyle Busch NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying Recap

Rain showers shortened the only Sprint Cup Series practice of the day on Thursday. A couple hours later, more severe storms blanketed the Chicagoland Speedway and washed out qualifying. As a result, the starting grid for Saturday night’s LifeLock.com 400 has been set according to owner’s point standings. Kyle Busch and his No. 18 M€™s® Team will once again start from the pole position. It will be the fourth time Busch has started from the top spot this season.

The only practice of the day began at 4:00pm local time and was scheduled to go a full 90 minutes. Dark clouds threatened to dump rain on the 1.5-mile speedway from the beginning of practice, so the No. 18 Team was forced to act quickly to figure out... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying Results - Busch On Pole

For the fourth time this season, rain cancelled qualifying and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race will be lined up per the provisions set forth in the rule book.

Kyle Busch, No. 18 M€™s LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr., No. 88 AMP Energy/National Guard Impala SS, and Jeff Burton, No. 31 AT&T Impala SS, will start second and third respectively // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland Q€™s ownership announcement, losing the Navy as a Nationwide sponsor, wining at Michigan, and more.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TONY’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF TAKING ON TEAM OWNERSHIP? “Oh yea, he is good. He is set. Tony will be fast, he always is. Who says Tony Stewart doesn’t know what he is doing, you know what I mean? He has proven that he knows what he is doing. He has got a lot of confidence, people like him. People like to work for him. He should be fine.â€

WILL YOU WORK WITH HIM WITH THIS NEW RELATIONSHIP? “I work with him regardless. I have been working with him all the time, no matter what he is driving. He is a good guy to draft with at the speedway races. He takes care of you on the mile and a half tracks, give and take with him; he will... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland Q€™s new ownership role, racing under the lights at Chicago, his 1.5-mile program, what Mark Martin brings to HMS, and more.

ON THE TONY STEWART / HAAS OWNERSHIP ANNOUNCEMENT

“I think it’s positive for Haas. For Tony, there aren’t too many teams out there that are going to offer that kind of ownership to many guys, if any guys. And he knew he wasn’t going to get that at Gibbs. And I think it’s a win-win for both of them. I’m anxious to see how it goes for them. I think had he not taken on the responsibility with his USAC and Sprint Cat teams, he probably would never even thought about this. And again, it’s about partnering up with somebody. It’s not about you taking on full responsibility. Most drivers that... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland Q€™s race, Tony Stewart’s ownership announcement, his relationship with Richard Petty, the Brickyard, and more.

TALK ABOUT THIS WEEKEND’S RACE: "I sure would like to get Tony Gibson and this US Army team a win. That is really where my focus is. They have had me close a couple times this year. It would mean a lot to me. We have run well here, but we haven’t closed the deal but we have run well here at times. Today’s competition is really all about how you hit it or not, so we are going to do our best."

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON TONY STEWART TAKING AN OWNERSHIP ROLE IN NASCAR SPRINT CUP? "I think it is cool on one hand. I think it will be really really exciting if Gibbs puts Joey (Logano) in the No. 20. I have been touting him since he was 12... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland Q€™s announcement, racing at night and much more.

“It’s hopefully the beginning of a great relationship. We’re really excited about ’09. We have a lot of unfinished business in ’08 that we have to focus on, but this gives us a tremendous amount that we can focus on going into the next year.â€

OTHER BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS THIS WEEK INCLUDE TONY STEWART GOING BACK TO THE CHEVROLET CAMP, YOUR COMMENTS ON THAT. “I have a great deal of admiration for what Tony’s been able to do in our sport and motorsports in general. He is unbelievably talented and he will help our Chevy program and be able to bring some ideas and thought processes that I think will be able to help us so I’m really excited about it. That team’s going... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Marcos Ambrose NASCAR Nationwide Race Preview

Friday night’s Dollar General 300 at the Chicagoland Speedway couldn’t have come at a better time for Marcus Ambrose and the No. 59 Kingsford/Match Light Ford.

The team is trying to recover from a fire that badly damaged two race cars and destroyed the team’s transporter and a lot of equipment. The car slated for the 1.5-mile racetrack at Chicagoland, however, wasn’t on the team hauler that caught fire on the ride home from New Hampshire two weeks ago. More important, Ambrose’s car is one of the best in the JTG Racing fleet.

“The mile-and-a-half tracks are our bread and butter,†Ambrose said. “You’ve got to be good on an intermediate-style racetrack, and it takes a lot of... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland Q€™S IMPALA SS, met with members of the media at Chicagoland Speedway and discussed night racing at Chicagoland, extending his relationship with both Richard Childress Racing and Jack Daniel’s, thoughts on Tony Stewart team ownership announcement.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FIRST NIGHT RACE HERE AT CHICAGOLAND? “I am really looking forward to it. We typically haven’t been running good on these type of race tracks so I am looking forward to challenge. This has always been a special track for me, I know if I run good here, I can go to the sister track in Kansas, which is my home track, and run well. It is important for me to run well here.â€

HOW NERVOUS ARE YOU ABOUT HOW CLOSE THE POINT STANDINGS ARE FROM SEVENTH OR EIGHTH TO 13TH OR 14TH?... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Robert Richardson, Jr. NASCAR Nationwide Race Preview

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver, Robert Richardson, Jr. and the No. 23 R3 Motorsports team will pack up and head to the Windy City this week to compete in the Dollar General 300 Powered by Coca Cola. This race will serve as a significant event in a list of season firsts for Richardson, Jr. "It's my first run at Chicagoland Speedway in a Nationwide series car", said Richardson, Jr. "I've raced in Chicago with the ARCA RE/MAX series and tested there when I ran in the Craftsman Truck series."

Along with being the first time Richardson, Jr has taken the pavement at Chicagoland with the NASCAR Nationwide Series, it will be the first time the track itself has been exposed to the illuminating glow of night lights. "I've always... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Kelly Bires NASCAR Nationwide Race Preview

Kelly Bires will make his second trip to the Chicagoland Speedway for Friday night’s Dollar General 300 with a new race car – and new sense of comfort.

Bires’ JTG Racing team has a new generation Clorox Ford Fusion for the race. Bires has a year of experience in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

“I’m very comfortable at this point,†Bires said. “I have seen just about every track we run at in the Nationwide Series, and going back to these tracks for the second time is going to put us ahead as a team before we get there.â€

Chicagoland’s 1.5-mile, tri-oval layout also adds to the comfort level for the Clorox team. JTG Racing’s strength has been on the intermediate tracks,... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland Q€œI enjoy Chicagoland. I enjoy being here. Coming off Daytona, we had another good run. I felt that we were one of the stronger cars throughout the entire night. I think that we can run really well here this weekend. The night race is going to be a lot of fun. It should be a lot different from what it’s been in the past. We haven’t run that well here in a Cup car. I think that (Chicagoland) is just one of those tracks that we haven’t for some reason. It’s also one of those tracks that I’ve enjoyed racing at and coming to. When you haven’t run well somewhere, you hope at some point it’s going to change because it’s a track that you like. I think this weekend can be one of those weekends where we qualify well and have a... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Clint Bowyer NASCAR Nationwide Race Preview

• This Week’s Camping World RV Sales Chevrolet at Chicagoland Speedway … Clint Bowyer will pilot Chassis No. 066 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable. This is the same Camping World RV Sales Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS Bowyer raced to a ninth-place finish last month at Kentucky Speedway. Formerly a No. 21 Chevy, this is the same car Timothy Peters raced at Kentucky last season (St. 23 – Fn. 17). Since then, the car has been completely rebuilt and outfitted with all the NASCAR-mandated 2008 updates.

• Camping World Colors at Chicagoland … After sporting its traditional burgundy and gold BB€™s No. 2 Chevy will showcase a Camping World RV Sales paint scheme this... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Kyle Busch NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

M€™s Team Notes of Interest

• Kyle Busch picked up his sixth Sprint Cup win of the season last week in Daytona. With the win, he increased his points lead to 182 points and has now led the series standings for the ninth consecutive week.

• Kyle is also the series lap leader with a total of 900 laps led. That is 16.59 percent of the 5,425 laps raced this season. His teammate Denny Hamlin is second in that category, having led a total of 670 laps this season.

• Kyle has three career Cup starts at Chicagoland Speedway. He has led a total of two laps in the three starts, while completing 100 percent of the laps run (804).

• Kyle’s best finish at Chicagoland Speedway came in 2006 when he earned a... // PaddockTalk

Chicagoland: Denny Hamlin NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

Hamlin, FedEx Racing 26th at Daytona: Denny Hamlin was twice bitten by racing incidents on Saturday night at Daytona and those two brief moments left Hamlin and the #11 FedEx team ruing the latest in a long string of missed opportunities that have marked the 2008 season so far. Despite leading six laps and showing the speed and handling needed to make the #11 Camry a factor on the night, incidents on lap 136 and 158 relegated the team to a 26th-place finish - little consolation by any measure but hard to accept on a night when the team put together a truly complete team effort. The result sees Hamlin hold onto seventh place in the Sprint Cup standings through 18 races.

Hamlin at Chicagoland Speedway: This will be Hamlin's second... // PaddockTalk

Auto Racing Daily (Enlarge photo)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – There have been 10 different race winners in 2008 in the NASCAR Nationwide Series: Tony Stewart (five), Kyle Busch (four), Denny Hamlin (three), Mark Martin (one), Matt Kenseth (one), Clint Bowyer (one), Scott Wimmer (one) and Carl Edwards (one) along with first-timers Brad Keselowski (one) and Joey Logano (one).

Joey Logano posted his first career pole in qualifying for Nashville. Brad Keselowski followed by winning his... // Auto Racing Daily

Five foreign-born drivers participated at Infineon Raceway: Marcos Ambrose (Australia), Patrick Carpentier and Ron Fellows (Canada), Juan Pablo Montoya (Colombia) and Max Papis (Italy). It was the largest contingent of foreign-born drivers in a race in NASCAR Sprint Cup history, eclipsing the previous mark of three which was set eight times – most recently at Infineon in 2007.

• Ryan Newman won the season-opening Daytona 500, his first career restrictor plate victory.

• Carl Edwards won back-to-back races at California and Las Vegas – the second time in his career he has posted consecutive wins.

• Kyle Busch won at Atlanta – the first victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series for Toyota. The victory came in the 40th start for Toyota in NASCAR’s premier series and was the... // Auto Racing Daily

Chicagoland: Red Bull NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

ENTRIES: Red Bull No. 83 Brian Vickers and Red Bull No. 84 AJ Allmendinger

RACE: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, “LifeLock.com 400â€

TRACK: Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, IL

+ THE STATE OF THE RED BULLS

After an 11th-place finish at Daytona, Brian Vickers sits 15th in the Sprint Cup driver standings, only 112 points from the top 12 heading into a weekend in the Windy City.

Chicagoland Speedway, a 1.5-mile oval with a slight bend in the backstretch, is one of Brian’s better tracks. Never has he started outside the top five, never has he finished outside the top 15 in three starts and he’s completed 100 percent of the laps.

He’s on a roll, too. Over the past six races this season, Brian’s No. 83 Red... // PaddockTalk

The Canadian driver finished a career-best 14th last Saturday at Daytona. Carpentier's best previous Cup finish was 22nd in his series debut last August on the road course at Watkins Glen. In 15 races this season, his best previous performance was 23rd last month on the road course at Sonoma.

Since Carpentier, of Joliette, Que., has not been in the top 35 in car owner points this season, he has had to qualify on speed for every race. Still 37th in the points, he has managed to make all but three races and has not missed a race since... // The Canadian Press

Chicagoland: Regan Smith NASCAR Sprint Cup Race Preview

As his rookie NASCAR Sprint Cup season continues, Regan Smith will face yet another new challenge this weekend. Saturday’s LifeLock.com 400 will mark the first time that the young Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver has competed in NASCAR’s premier level at Chicagoland Speedway.

“I’m used to most everything being new to me at this level,†Smith said. “I’ve raced at Chicagoland in the Nationwide Series so I know a little bit about the place. I’ve had fun racing there in the past. It’s a fast, wide track with a number of different racing grooves.

“I think the main thing for us this weekend is to build on the success we had last week at Daytona. We had a... // PaddockTalk