Nationwide Series

Scott Wimmer is a talented driver in the Nationwide Series—yet continues to lose rides despite how successful he is for the team.

In his past two starts with JR Motorsports (JRM), he has finished seventh both times. Though come Phoenix, Wimmer won’t be in the No. 7 car. That ride has been given to Landon Cassill, a young star who has a development contract with Hendrick Motorsports, a team closely affiliated with JRM.

This isn’t the first time that Wimmer has made considerable contributions to a team and been set aside on the curb.

In 2007, Wimmer was pegged by Richard Childress Racing (RCR) to drive part of the schedule while veteran Jeff Burton was to run the other races. The end result of both of their success combined was to equal the owner’s championship for RCR.

In his 23 starts, Wimmer had no wins yet had a pole at Gateway, seven top fives, 14 top 10s and an average finish of 11.6. Though Wimmer did his part as combined with Burton’s finishes, they won the owner’s championship for RCR.

In 2008, the same package was put together and Wimmer once again had success. He won a race at Nashville, had a pole at Bristol, five top fives, 13 top 10s and an average finish of 10.5.

In 2009, Wimmer joined up with Curtis Key Motorsports, an under funded team to try to help them, while also running six races for JRM. In those six races, he finished 9th, 18th, 9th, 31st (engine), and 18th. In his 24 starts for Curtis Key Motorsports, he got them a top 10 with a seventh place finish at Memphis.

In 2010, JRM once again called upon Scott Wimmer and as said earlier, he delivered with back-to-back seventh place finishes.

When JRM announced that they’d be trying to run the No. 7 all year long, the first thought was Wimmer would be driving that car all year long. Though that didn’t happen as during the Memphis weekend, JR Motorsports announced Cassill would be driving the car for the next four races.

In comparing their stats, the obvious choice though would be Wimmer. In 201 Nationwide starts, Wimmer has six wins, 29 top fives and 73 top 10s while Cassill has only six top 10s in 26 starts.

Plus add in the contributions that Wimmer had made to both RCR and  JRM, he’s most deserving of a full-time Nationwide Series ride that has good funding behind it.

Though in discussing Wimmer, you also have to fault RCR for not giving him a full-time ride after he had success running part-time with Burton.

Since letting Wimmer go, RCR’s Nationwide drivers have yet to match his success, besides Austin Dillion.

In his six starts, Dillion managed to get one top five finish. Though if you look at the other drivers, their stats don’t compare.

Since Wimmer left RCR, they’ve had three non-Cup drivers, besides Dillion, run their car: Stephen Leicht, Sean Caisse and John Wes Townley.

In 71 Nationwide starts, Leicht has one win (2007 Kentucky with Yates Racing), three top fives and 16 top 10s.

In three races with RCR, Caisse’s highest finish was 22nd at Loudon.

In 34 races, Townley’s highest finish is 15th at Las Vegas this year.

If I was RCR, I’d be looking to bring Wimmer back into the picture.

There are many talented drivers who have got pushed off to the curb and left without rides, slowly being forgotten.

Hopefully Wimmer is not the next driver added to that list because if I was starting a team and looking at current free agents, he’d be one driver that I’d pick-up.

The recent re-acquisition of Landon Cassill by JR Motorsports, on the surface, has all the earmarks of filling a driver void.

Cassill, 2008 Nationwide Rookie of the Year, was hired to run four races, starting at Phoenix, in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet.

While this may look like the normal trappings of a simplistic multiple race deal, it’s what is hidden below the surface that demands investigation.

Phoenix, home of GoDaddy.com, is the only race fully sponsored for the No. 7 car with Cassill aboard.

If GoDaddy.com does not pick up the remaining three races, then another sponsorship deal announcement lies ahead.

GoDaddy.com came on board with JR Motorsports when Danica Patrick signed a two year deal to drive.

The initial deal was for just seven races. Since that announcement GoDaddy.com has little by little increased its support of the JR Motorsports Nationwide program while still sponsoring Rick Hendrick's No. 5 Sprint Cup team.

A look into the not so distant future may shed some light on the reasoning behind this growing support.

At the end of the 2011 season, one could say there will be a perfect storm at Hendrick Motorsports.

The contracts of Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Danica Patrick’s contract with JR Motorsports will all come to an end.

Is it possible that Bob Parsons, owner of GoDaddy.com, is supporting JR Motorsports in anticipation of the addition of a new Sprint Cup team in 2012?

It’s well publicized that Rick Hendrick is a percentage owner of the JR Motorsports Nationwide operation, but has no stake, at this time, in a JR Motorsports Sprint Cup entry.

With Mark Martin no longer driving, and the proven media sensation Danica Patrick a free agent, all Parsons has to do is decide who he wants to spend his money with.

NASCAR’s perennial most popular driver coupled with its newest female sensation should be a no-brainer for Parsons.

Dale Jr. has proclaimed he’s a control freak by nature, so this would be the prime opportunity for him to step into the driver/owner position with one, or possibly two Sprint Cup entries and at least one sponsor already on board.

Of course, all this would be dependant on Danica Patrick staying at JR Motorsports once she moves up to the Sprint Cup level.

With Cassell, a previously solid performer at JR Motorsports, and Kelly Bires already in place, the Nationwide operation could still continue.

There is one other caveat in this scenario, and that’s Chad Knaus.

Yes, that’s right, Chad Knaus.

Knaus’ contract with Hendrick Motorsports has already expired. He’s been working this year without a contract.

Rumors are that Hendrick has made offers, but to no avail.

Insiders say Knaus and Jimmie Johnson are more focused on breaking Jeff Gordon’s single season win record, and of course, winning their fifth championship in a row.

If Knaus is in fact holding out for more money, a larger piece of the pie, or better yet, another opportunity, why not take on a new challenge?

It would be simple for Hendrick or Earnhardt Jr. to buy out the remaining IRL contract of Danica Patrick.

If this were to happen, Patrick could be in a cup ride part time this year and full time as early as next year.

Given the driving talents of Patrick and the genius of Knaus, it’s quite possible the next challenge for Knaus is to be the first crew chief to win a NASCAR championship with a female driver.

Photo Credit: David L. Yeazell  

It’s a question that’s always asked and always debated, though never seems to equal a clear answer.

The debate always starts with someone taking a side and arguing for it, and then another arguing against them. Everybody has their reasons and believes that they’ve got the best reasons.

So what are some of these reasons that get discussed? Well, here are the pros and cons that heat the debate up:

 

Pros

 

*Experience*

The experience that the Sprint Cup drivers have is valuable to the Nationwide drivers. They show them the correct way that they should race each other, while also giving them a taste of what it’s like to race against those who know what they’re doing.

*Exposure*

When Sprint Cup drivers run the Nationwide races they help draw fans to watch the races on television and also come to the races. This in return increases ticket sales, the popularity of the series, and promotes to potential sponsors that it’s a good series to come into. All of this in return is a good thing for NASCAR as this is what they want, especially in a time when the ratings and the economy haven’t been the best.

 

 

Cons

 

*Experience*

Well it can be a positive, but it can also be a negative. Due to their experience, they take away opportunities from the Nationwide drivers.

Cup drivers win most of the races (80 percent so far this year) and when they run the full season, they normally take the championship.

The last driver to win the championship while not running the full Sprint Cup Schedule was Martin Truex Jr. in 2005. This scenario happening would be like if the New York Yankees won the championship in the Minor League in baseball.

*Takes Away Valuable Seats*

When a Sprint Cup driver runs a Nationwide race, they take that potential seat and starting position from a Nationwide driver. Due to this, you see fewer drivers entering the sport who may have the talent to equal that of Jimmie Johnson or Kyle Busch.

There are so many reasons that could be brought up in this discussion besides those listed.

For me personally, I don’t mind Sprint Cup drivers running the Nationwide Series, however I think running the whole schedule is excessive.

Nationwide, as the series sponsor, has begun looking at the situation, especially with their addition of the Dash for Cash Program.

The program is the same as last year. If an eligible driver wins one of the four races in the program, the driver gets a $25,000 bonus. If a non-eligible driver wins, then the money for that race gets added to the next race.

As stated by NASCAR Online, “The 2010 Dash 4 Cash bonus program is open to all Nationwide Series regulars and up-and-comers, including those who may not have a full-time Nationwide Series ride. Nationwide Series drivers with a full-time ride in Sprint Cup must enter every Nationwide Series event in order to qualify for the cash payouts in the four races.”

The four races chosen are Nashville (April 3), Kentucky Speedway (June 12), Iowa Speedway (July 31), and Texas Motor Speedway (Nov. 6). They were chosen as they are non-companion dates to Cup Series races, except for Texas.

That is the same as last year, however it was announced this year that the end of the year bonus would only eligible to a Nationwide driver who runs less than seven Cup races.

This is only a step in the right direction. I think there are two more things that NASCAR needs to do themselves.

Firstly, any driver who is proven to be a start-and-park entry (a driver who starts a race, yet parks once he’s started to just get the money) should not be allowed to enter any race following that race.

By doing this, you open up the slots of drivers who are start-and-parks for drivers who are willing to run the whole race.

The race at Nashville had four start-and-parks, so therefore that would’ve opened the door for four drivers who really want to do this.

Secondly, put a limit on the amount of Cup races a Cup driver can run.

Some say that number should be 10 or 15 and I’d agree with that number. However, if they don’t want to make the number that small, they can say that Cup drivers cannot run any races that are non-companion to Cup events. This would therefore eliminate the possibility of a Cup driver winning a Nationwide championship.

No matter what you think, this is one of the hot topics that surrounds NASCAR and we know that everybody has an opinion on a hot topic. So what do you think?

Landon Cassill will be joining JR Motorsports for four races in the No. 7 Chevrolet starting with next week’s race at Phoenix International Raceway, the team announced today. Cassill drove for JR Motorsports in 16 races in 2008—the same year in which he won the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award in the Nationwide Series.

Cassill’s effort at Phoenix will be sponsored by GoDaddy.com. Sponsorship for the other three races, scheduled for the spring events at Texas, Talladega and Richmond are still to be determined.

“Landon is a familiar face at JR Motorsports, and it is with great pleasure that we welcome him back to drive our No. 7 Chevrolets these next few weeks,” Kelley Earnhardt, vice president and general manager of JR Motorsports, said. “We are committed to keeping this No. 7 team racing as long as possible, because with Tony Eury Jr. and an extremely dedicated group of employees, this team is too good to not be at the race track. We are fortunate to have GoDaddy.com on board at Phoenix. I know it’s a big deal to have GoDaddy.com represented there, because the Valley is home to Bob Parsons and the GoDaddy.com team. They are great partners.”

Cassill is at the track this weekend at Nashville to be reacquainted with the team. Cassill hasn’t raced in the Nationwide Series since Oct. 24, 2009 at Memphis Motorsports Park with Phoenix Racing. In all, Cassill has 26 starts in the Nationwide Series, posting six top-ten finishes and one pole—at New Hampshire with JR Motorsports.

The Fairfax, Ia. native also has recorded eight starts in the Camping World Truck Series, in which he has accrued one top-five and three top-ten finishes.

Scott Wimmer is in the No. 7 Army Wives Chevrolet this weekend at Nashville, completing his two-race commitment with the popular Lifetime television series.

Danica Patrick is scheduled to be in the car for ten more races this season.

Braun Racing rookie Brian Scott will have Dollar General on-board his No. 11, at Nashville for the Nashville 300 on Saturday and he also will carry a special Autism Speaks logo on his car.

He's making his second career Nationwide start at the track, in his debut he started 24th and finished 25th. Due to getting caught in a wreck not of his doing.

Scott's run two races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, at Nashville. Last season, he ran out of laps trying to pass Ron Hornaday for the win, but ultimately finished second and got the education of his life following the wily veteran.

Scott also picked up his first career win in NASCAR, at another concrete track last season at Dover International Speedway.

He was really good on the concrete tracks in the series and it should help him with being familiar on what to expect handling wise.

It's the fifth of five races that Scott and his No. 11 General Dollar team will need to qualify for on speed. I doubt he'll have any problems making the field with his team's focus on qualifying; it should be a top-10 start or better.

Scott will be racing chassis No. BR51 this weekend and it picked up a finish of 10th at California.

He'll have a really good Camry, be fast all race long, and we could see him put the No. 11 on the pole.

Scott should spend the majority of the race in the top 10, he's better on concrete than what many realize.

I wouldn't be shocked to see him challenging for the win, but no doubt he'll pick up a career best finish that tops his best effort of 10th.

Now with the possibility of rain Saturday, Scott's crew chief Bill Wilburn could use pit strategy and mother nature to get the win.

Photo Credit: braunracing.com

Track Stats:

Name: Nashville Superspeedway

Race Date: April 3, 2010

Location: Lebanon, Tennessee

Length: 1.333-mile oval

Banking in the turns: 14 degrees

Banking on the frontstretch: 9 degrees

Banking on the backstretch: 6 degrees

Grandstand Seats: 50,000

Tickets/track info: http://www.nashvillesuperspeedway.com/ or (866) 722-3849

Last year’s Top 10:

1. Joey Logano

2. Kyle Busch

3. Brad Keselowski

4. Kelly Bires

5. Carl Edwards

6. Jason Leftler

7. David Ragan

8. Mike Bliss

9. Steve Wallace

10. Scott Lagasse Jr.

June Winner: Kyle Busch

 

 

Interesting Stats:

In the last two races, Busch has gathered the most points at Nashville with a total of 370, followed by Keselowski (340) and Edwards (330).

If you total the last three races, Keselowski leads the parade with a total of 530, followed by Busch (473) and Edwards (454).

Edwards, however, leads the party when you total anything between the last five to 10 races.

Good Picks

 

With all this said, let’s get to those who should be on your radar.

Kyle Busch – Busch is a threat no matter what track the Nationwide Series is at as he always runs well. In his eight starts at Nashville, he has completed 97.1 percent of the laps and has won once, two top fives, three top 10s, and an average finish of 15.4

Brad Keselowski – Keselowski is yet another king of the picks lately as he’s run well this year with Penske Racing. In his six starts at Nashville, he has completed 70.3 percent of the laps and has won once, four top fives, four top 10s, and an average finish of 14.7

Carl Edwards – Edwards is like Busch, in where you pick him no matter what track you’re on in the Nationwide Series. He is also good at the concrete tracks as the majority of his wins have come on them. In his nine starts at Nashville, he has completed all of the laps and has three wins, eight top fives, eight top 10s, and an average finish of 4.0.

Jason Leftler – Jason Leftler looks to be the best non-Cup driver when you combine the points earned at the last two or three races at Nashville. In his 10 starts at Nashville, he has completed 85.4 percent of the laps and has a win, four top fives, six top 10s, and an average finish of 14.5

Watch for:

 

Justin Allgaier – Allgaier has turned a lot of heads lately with how well he’s been running, including the win last weekend at Bristol. In his two starts at Nashville last year, he finished 29th and 13th. His ARCA Series stats don’t look much better, however, as he only finished in the top 10 once in his four starts.

Scott Wimmer – Wimmer won at Nashville in 2008 for Richard Childress Racing and looks to do well again this year with JR Motorsports. This weekend, he will have a new sponsor on the car as Army Wives has jumped on board. In his 11 starts at Nashville, he has completed 87.5 percent of the laps and has a win, four top fives, eight top 10s, and an average finish of 12.5

Thanks to Racing-Reference.info for the Stats

Dale Earnhardt Junior’s Nationwide team, JR Motorsports, has just made the sponsorship deal of a “Lifetime.” The team, bearing the name of NASCAR’s most popular driver, will now be partnering with Lifetime Television to promote their series Army Wives.

“The partnership with Army Wives is a great opportunity for JR Motorsports and Lifetime TV,” Kelley Earnhardt, general manager of Junior Motorsports, said.  “As a company, we thrive on partnerships that offer success for all parties involved.”

“We’ve been actively seeking additional partnership for JRM and the Army Wives deal came together at exactly the right time,” Earnhardt continued.  “We were searching for partners, and they were looking for their initial jump in NASCAR and somewhere they could get a lot of exposure for the dollar.

“So a partnership between JRM and Army Wives just made a lot of sense for the Nashville race.”

The sponsorship deal includes wrapping the car with the Army Wives branding, as well as appearances by some of the stars of the hit show at the upcoming NASCAR Nationwide race in Nashville this weekend.

Under this unique sponsorship agreement, Army Wives will be the official sponsor of the No. 7 car, driven for the first part of the season by Danica Patrick.  Scott Wimmer is now behind the wheel of the No. 7 race car while Patrick resumes her IndyCar responsibilities.

Earnhardt is quick to clarify that the Army Wives deal came about separate and apart from Danica Patrick being in the car.  “Danica brings a lot of exposure and value to our race team, but this partnership wasn’t a product of Army Wives wanting to be associated with Danica,” Earnhardt said, especially since Patrick will not be back in the No. 7 car until June.

“This was more a situation of Army Wives wanting to be involved in the exciting world of NASCAR and be associated with one of the top teams in the Nationwide Series and a team that could assist in bringing a lot of eyes to their program,” Earnhardt said.

In addition to the Army Wives branding of the JRM No. 7 car for the Nashville 300, Lifetime will bring the Army Wives Experience to the NASCAR Fan Zone at the Nashville Superspeedway.  Army Wives’ stars Brigid Brannagh and Wendy Davis will join Wimmer and his JR Motorsports teammate Kelly Bires for an autograph session.

“This promotion uniquely ties Lifetime in with NASCAR and JR Motorsports, reflects auto racing’s long-time support of the armed forces and strategically reaches the Army Wives audience,” Alex Ignon, Vice President of Media and Consumer Promotions for Lifetime Networks said. 

“Through the NASCAR and JR Motorsports sponsorship, we will be able to capitalize on one of America’s most popular sports to effectively market Army Wives and inform its fans about the new season in an immersive, exciting and targeted way,” Ignon said.

Earnhardt was equally excited about having the stars of the show appear at the track.  “Well, Brigid Brannagh and Wendy Davis, two of the Army Wives cast members, have been kind enough to join us for the race in Nashville,” Earnhardt said.  “Army Wives will feature a display area that will have our show car and we’ll have an autograph session with the cast members and JRM drivers Scott Wimmer and Kelly Bires.”

Will any of the JRM drivers or any of the Earnhardts for that matter reciprocate and appear on the Army Wives show?  “That would be a lot of fun,” Earnhardt said.  “But there aren’t any plans in place for something like that.” 

In addition to the branding on the car and the Nashville talent promotion, Lifetime will also launch the Army Wives Race of a Lifetime Sweepstakes.  Participants can enter this contest on myLifetime.com this summer to win an all-expenses paid trip for four to a future NASCAR race.

The winners will get the NASCAR experience of a lifetime, including a meet-and-greet with a JR Motorsports driver.  Additionally, the lucky contest winners will also be given a ride in the pace car, a behind-the-scenes tour of the pit and garage, and tickets for the entire NASCAR race weekend.

Army Wives returns this season for its fourth year and is one of cable’s highest rated dramas.  The season will kick off at 10:00 p.m. Eastern on Sunday, April 11, with 18 all-new episodes to follow.

The series follows the struggles, dreams and friendships of several women and one man, all of whom have spouses on active duty.  In addition to Brannagh and Davies, the series also stars Kim Delaney, Sally Pressman, Brian McNamara, Sterling K. Brown, Drew Fuller, Terry Serpico, Katelyn Pippy and Catherine Bell.

The NASCAR Nationwide race, the Nashville 300, will take place at Nashville Superspeedway on Saturday, April 3 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern.  The race will be televised on ESPN and broadcast on MRN/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio.

Justin Allgaier won the Scott's Turf Builder 300 for the first career victory in his 43rd career start.

His teammate Brad Keselowski finished second to make it the third Penske one-two sweep in the history of the team. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five.

With Harvick getting a top five at Bristol, he ties Tommy Houstin in top five finishes in the Nationwide Series.

NOTES: Kevin Harvick said Logano kept chopping his nose and that "You gotta do what you got do."  

Last Lap: Kevin Harvick spins Joey Logano.

5:00pm Top Five: Justin Allgaier, Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano

RESTART 27TG: Justin Allgaier takes the lead from Keselowski as Logano passes Harvick for fifth

Brad Keselowski to start on the outside again, and Kenny Wallace gets the lucky dog

4:54pm Top Five: Brad Keselowski, Justin Allgaier, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick

CAUTION John Wes Townley and Josh Wise wreck—Jason Keller dumped John; Josh Wise and Tony Raines try to check up and mix things up

40TG Kevin Harvick passes Leflter for fifth. Kevin's chasing Tommy Houston for most top-fives in the series

41tg Carl Edwards passes Leftler for fourth

RESTART with 44TG as Keselowski starts outside and gets a jump out there

@NNSracing Green, lap 256 22-12-18-10-60 27-20-33-88-40 98-43-32-15-87 21-7-81-05-01

Kenny Wallace gets lucky dog

@keselowskiweb RT @jaywpennell Keselowski says "I haven't driven it 100 percent yet. I want to make sure I have tire left if they pit."

4:46pm Top 5: Brad Keselowski, Justin Allgaier, Kyle Busch, Jason Leftler, Carl Edwards

49TG CAUTION Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spins and hits wall, puncturing radiator

55TG: Kyle Busch to third past Leftler

59TG: Kyle Busch to fourth past Edwards

RESTART 68TG as Justin Allgaier moves up to second putting Jason Leftler third, Carl Edwards forth, Kyle Busch fifth

Caution No. 9, lap 226. Coleman Pressley spins—John Wes Townely and Reed Sorenson pit as Kenny Wallace gets the lucky dog

4:34pm: Top 5: Brad Keselowski, Jason Leftler, Greg Biffle, Justin Allgaier, Kyle Busch

84TG: Justin Allgaier passes Menard for fourth, Kyle Busch to fifth

RESTART 89TG

@BCR27 Greg says car is a little tight and if pit again wants a wedge adjustment. Lap 210 in third.

Brad Keselowski starts on the outside; Jason Keller gets Lucky Dog

4:27pm Top Five: Brad Keselowski, Jason Leftler, Greg Biffle, Paul Menard, Justin Allgaier

CAUTION 94TG: Joe Nemechek goes around due to the contact from Derrike Cope

96TG: Biffle passes Menard for third

RESTART 98TG Keselowski to the lead past Leftler as the battle continues on throughout the field.

@BraunRacing38 @kaseykahne was just caught up in a lap 187 accident. After assessing the damage the day is over for the great clips team

@DeLanaHarvick @kevinharvick thought this was a 250 lapper! Nope, add 50 more.

@NASCAR_NNS #Nascar Caution—debris on the frontstretch near the flagstand. Flagman Kevin Moss says "I see it tower and it's not moving."

4:18pm Top Five: Jason Leftler, Brad Keselowski, Paul Menard, Greg Biffle, Justin Allgaier

Caution with 102TG for debris.

Restart—Jason Leftler to the lead as everybody goes crazy

Though Ricky Stenhouse Jr to the lead as four stay out

RACE OFF: 22 followed by 27, 12, 60 and 18

Justin on pit road—way too tight last five or six laps

@KHI_NNS Caution on lap 186. Harvick is 10th and says the car is not bad. Fast lap times and moving through the field.

@DeLanaHarvick caution out again. All those that didn't pit will have to now. We're eighth

CAUTION Lap 186: Tony Raines, Brendan Gaughan, Kasey Kahne, Shelby Howard—Tony Raines spins Shelby Howard—Brendan and Kasey pilled in. In the middle of the wreck, Keselowski takes the lead passing Biffle.

During Commercial Break: Justin Aallgier and Brad Keselowski past Brendan Gaughan

4:08pm Top Five: Greg Biffle, Brendan Guaghan, Justin Allgaier, Brad Keselowski, Kasey Kahne

@BraunRacing38 By staying out during last yellow @kaseykahne was able to move back inside the top 10. Car is loose this run, but is moving toward the front

Lap 161: Kasey Kahne to fifth past Mike Bliss and Tony Raines

4:02pm: Top Five: Greg Biffle, Brendan Guaghan, Justin Allgaier, Brad Keselowski, Mike Bliss

Restart with 150 laps to go

@bobpockrass Official in 60 pit got in way as Carl tried to get out of pit; they probably wanted for tires, but Carl came in really close to wall..

@JoeGibbsRacing Kyle got a little too close to the wall. Comes out third. Joey came out fourth.

Kyle Busch said his car was tight in, loose off

Carl Edwards overshoots his pit road, taking two tires with no chassis adjustment

Some leaders to pit road, some stay out as Greg Biffle takes the lead

CAUTION LAP 146 - Kyle Busch spins Kelly Bires

@MichaelAnnett More damage to right front fender from debris during wreck causing lap 124 caution. Patched up on pit road and back out with four new tires.

Lap 133: Greg Biffle to third, Kyle Busch back to forth, Brendan Guaghan to fifth

Lap 132: Kelly Bires passes Scott Wimmer for second

Restart Lap 132 as Carl Edwards restarts oh the outside and opens up a lead

@BCR27 Greg says 99 ran him up into the wall that last run and the car has been really tight since. Damaged fenders a little but not major.

@NNSracing Kenny Wallace gets the lap back under this caution

@JamesBuescher The guys are fixing the car so we can go back out! :)

@JoeGibbsRacing Joey has gone from being tight to loose after a big adjustment. Crew chief thinks car will come around on older tires. #NASCAR

3:48pm Top Five: Carl Edwards, Scott Wimmer, Kyle Busch, Kelly Bires, Brad Keselowski

Kasey Kahne comes down pit road to address issue

Caution Lap 124: Trevor Bayne, Colemann Pressley and James Buescher all wreck. James Buescher runs over Trevor Bayne. Coleman Pressley punted behind them.

Lap 123: Kasey Kahne thinks he has a problem—oil and water going up like crazy as Carl Edwards takes the lead

@BraunRacing38 @kaseykahne has reported that he rubbed the turn four wall, but his spotter sees no noticeable damage. Still running fastest laps on the track

@JoeGibbsRacing Joey's car can't run the top line very well. Making it hard to pass. Kyle now p4 joey p9

@Kylebusch Kyle in traffic, says car is looser getting into the corners and a bit tight off. —Ryan

@DeLanaHarvick plowing.

3:41pm Top Five: Kasey Kahne, Scott Wimmer, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Kelly Bires

Lap 114: Kasey Kahne to the lead past Scott Wimmer as Kelly Bires gets passed by both Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch

Lap 110: Kasey Kahne to second past Kelly Bires

@JoeGibbsRacing Be ready for anything spotter says. Kyle lost a handful of spots stuck behind a car. Back to p7 joey p6

Lap 102: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. passes Coleman Pressley for third as Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards get back in the topfive

@NNSracing Top 20: 7-88-23-6-18-38-22-60-27-20-99-33-12-32-10-98-21-62-15-40

@DeLanaHarvick Trouble with the jack on that stop lost two spots. coulda been much worse. here we go.

@KHI_NNS Team made first stop of day on lap 92 for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. Restarting 12th with some teams opting to stay out.

Restart lap 96

@MichaelAnnett Germain Racing pit crew made stop for four sticker tires and fuel lap 92. MA restarting 19th lap 95. #nascar

RACE OFF: Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne lead off of pit road yet some cars stayed out.

@MWRteam Red flag has been lifted. @tbayne99 pitting for four tires, fuel and another tug on the left front fender.

Kyle Busch makes an air pressure adjustment to help getting off pit road

Justin Allgaier is tight in the center, track bar and air pressure adjustment

Greg Biffle loose in—track bar adjustment

Carl Edwards is a hair snug in the corner, tight off the corner—air pressure adjustment

Kasey Kahne is free on entry, tight in the middle—air pressure adjustment to be able to get side bite

Red flag lifted, yellow flag out and the leaders are on pit road. That red flag was 12:13 ...

@MichaelAnnett Red flag at @BMSUpdates. MA P19. Saying he's tight after center and still needs to patch up right front fender damage. #nascar

Kelly Bires reports signs of losing the brakes, Tony Eury Sr "Pops" says to get his foot off of the brakes and learn to roll through the center

@BraunRacing38 @kaseykahne is happy with his car. Wants it freed up in the center. Will take four tires fuel and air press adjustment on next stop

3:25pm RED FLAG Top Five: Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards

Steve Wallace to ESPN: "I've got a hard head. I'll be all right."

What happened? Scott Wimmer got into Brian Scott as Brian tried to get to pit road with a vibration; then Colin Braun got into Brian and then Steven plowed under Colin

@tbayne99 running 10th. Cars still a little tight. 

@gamestopracing Top five pull away at lap 70. Joey says the car is tight in the middle of the corners.

@NNSracing RT @teamkeselowski: Looks like Team K are all done. Brian's car lost rear metal and P39 goes into the book.

3:20pm CAUTION Steven Wallace and Colin Braun wreck hard—Brian Scott also involved.

Top 5: Kasey Kahne, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards

Lap 80—Kasey Kahne to the lead

@MichaelAnnett MA has right front fender damage but is up to 23rd. #nascar

Green flag lap 60

@keselowskiweb    BK still looking for the groove. Under second caution, with the 22 car in P6. Ahead is Mr Ed, Biff, JoLo, KK and Kyle.

3:09pm Top 5: Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards

Michael McDowell gets the lucky dog

@JamesBuescher When pit road opens we are coming for tires and fuel! James says the tow is a little better but there is still a lot of stuff messed up!

Kelly Bires was loose in and came in to get a chassis adjustment. The car felt out of control at the beginning.

Some people pit, front group stays out

@MWRteam Caution L53—cars a little "free off". No pit for the Diamond-Waltrip team.   —Trevor Baynes

3:07pm Top Five: Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards

CAUTION Lap 54 for debris

@BraunRacing38 @kaseykahne has moved into second with lap times 2/10 faster than the leader

@JoeGibbsRacing Kyle Busch leads. Joey Logano p3. Kyle says he's just playing around. Trying different lines. #NASCAR

3:05pm Top Five: Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Joey Logano, Greg Biffle, Carl Edwards

Lap 47: Kasey Kahne passes Joey Logano back for second

@BCR27 First 40 laps Greg is saying car is a little free especially into the corners

@BraunRacing38: Under caution @kaseykahne reports the 38 is free in and the front is a tick in the center #nascar

@JamesBuescher The guys are getting the tow fix! But we are losing laps while it is being done!

Lap 36: Joey Logano and Greg Biffle pass Kasey Kahne for second and third

Green flag is back out on lap 36 as Kyle Busch gets a good jump

3:00pm Top Five: Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski

Lap 32: Top 10: 18-38-60-20-22-27-33-88-10-32

@Kylebusch Caution is out, Kyle says the car was a little free on entry and snug in the middle.

—Ryan

@MWRteam Caution L30—four tires and fuel. Going to fix the damage on the left front fender.  --- in reference to Trevor Bayne

Caution Lap 30: Brian Keselowski into the wall after contact from James Buescher as Jason Keller gets the lucky dog; Danny O' Quinn, David Gilliand and Kevin Lepage are all behind the wall parked.

@JamesBuescher "The car is towed in" James is not very happy! We will see what happens!

@KHI_NNS Harvick moves in to top 10 on lap 23. Car is loose all the way through the corners.

2:55pm Top Five: Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski

Lap 23: Kyle Busch to the lead as Kasey Kahne passes Carl Edwards for third

Lap 21: Kasey Kahne and Brad Keselowski both passed Greg Biffle for forth and fifth

Lap 18: Kyle Busch up to second past Carl Edwards

2:52pm Lap 11 Top Five: Joey Logano, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch, Greg Biffle, Kasey Kahne as pole sitter Brad Keselowski and Kelly Bires are dropping back.

Lap Five: James Buscher on pit road with damage—Trevor Bayne got into the back of him and he got in the wall, Johnny Champmann was the first start-and-park

Lap 1: Joey Logano leads as Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski and Kelly Bires open up chaos with contact.

Green Flag is Out!

2:38pm The Command to start engines has been given and Brad Keselowski has chosen to start on the outside. So Joey Logano to the inside and Edwards will start on Keselowski's bumper. Anybody taking guess on what's going to happen?

For today's Nationwide race, Brad Keselowski continues to dominate the headlines as he'll start pole. Can he put Atlanta behind him with a win? He was followed by Joey Logano, Kelly Bires, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle in qualifying.

Stay tuned for live updates during the Nationwide race as the green flag is set to be dropped at 2:46pm EST.

Braun Racing rookie Brian Scott will be driving the No.11 AccuDoc Solutions Toyota at Bristol, for Saturday afternoon's Scott's Turf Builder 300 and he's ecstatic to get back to racing.

Scott is excited to be heading to Bristol and looking to play a little defense to ensure himself a great finish.

He made his debut start at Bristol in the Nationwide last year. Were he started 16th, ran a really great race most of the time in the Top 15.

Only to get caught up in a wreck not of his doing late in the race and finished 30th.

Scott also ran a most impressive Camping World Truck Series race last fall, were he started and finished fifth.

It's the fourth of five races that Scott and his No. 11 team will need to qualify on speed. I doubt he'll have any problems making the field and with his teams focus on qualifying it should be a Top 15 starting spot or better.

It is also another track where a rookie like Scott will benefit from having a veteran crew chief like Billy Wilburn calling the shots.

Wilburn most definitely will be an asset this week, were he's won eight races as a crew member in Sprint Cup at Bristol.

Wilburn knows what it takes to win, but his No. 11 team will listen to him and Scott will absorb his knowledge like a sponge.

Bristol is all about finding the line your car handles the best in, then survive the carnage and set yourself up for the last run to the checkers.

Scott will be racing chassis No. 27 at Bristol and in its last race, last fall at Charlotte Dave Blaney finished third.

He should have another fast ride, feel he'll have another race were he'll spend most of the race in the Top 15 or higher.

Scott will need too run a smart race, be patient stay out of trouble and set himself up for another Top 12 or better finish.

Now if he runs like he did in last falls O'Reilly 200 presented by Valvoline truck race. We could see Scott best his career best 10th place finish.

I guess you can call the "World's Fastest Half-Mile" track Kevin Harvick's house, as he pretty much owns the place in the Nationwide Series competition with a series-leading five wins.

Harvick scored his most memorable win in last year's race, when he picked up his first win in his own Kevin Harvick Inc. equipment.

Harvick will be driving the No. 33 Rheem Chevrolet Saturday afternoon, looking to defend his race win and chasing history.  

Should Harvick happen to finish in the top five, he'll tie Tommy Houston for the all-time series lead at 123.

In 19 previous starts, Harvick has compiled five wins, 12 top-fives, 15 top-10 finishes, led 1,075 laps, won two poles, and completed 4,783 of 4,839 laps for a 98.4 percent average.

He also has an average starting position of 9.4 and an average finish of 7.4 and has led laps in all but six starts.

Looking deeper into his stats at Bristol, Harvick has run in all three series, leading 1,589 laps, and completing 14,362 laps.

With his two starts this weekend, he could end up hitting the 5,000 mark in laps completed in the Nationwide series and end the weekend with over 15,000 laps completed in all three series combined.

Harvick will have another one of his stout chassis at Bristol and will be racing chassis No. 051. He raced it at Phoenix last year, picking up a second-place finish, and ran the entire race in the top four.

Harvick should qualify top-five, be fast, stay in the lead pack all race long, and set himself for his sixth win in the closing laps.

If you happen to be going to Bristol on Friday, you can catch Harvick with wife Delana and Richard Childress Racing teammate Jeff Burton playing Family Feud against Stewart-Haas Racing's Tony Stewart, with Ryan and wife Krissie Newman. Both teams will have two fans apiece on each team, chosen from online auctions. Details for the auction are on bristolmotorspeedway.com .

You can also be one of 150 lucky fans to get Kevin Harvick's autograph at the Food City Tent with sponsor Armour from 6:15 PM to 7:15 PM.

Armour will be handing out Harvick Armour t-shirts which are your ticket into the autograph session to the first 150 fans who come to the Food City tent.

Source for stats: kevinharvickinc.com

Photo Credit: fancentral.com