XIV

The 2011 Budweiser Shootout was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on February 12, 2011 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida. Contested over 75 laps, it was the first exhibition race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season. The race was won by Kurt Busch for the Penske Racing team. Jamie McMurray finished second. And Ryan Newman clinched third. Pole position driver Dale Earnhardt, Jr. maintained his lead through the first corner. But Clint Bowyer, who started seventh on the grid, led the first lap. On the 25th lap, the first caution was given, as Jeff Burton became the leader. During the caution all the teams made a pit stop . Two laps later, an accident involving several racecars prompted the second caution to be given. On lap 63, Newman became the leader. He maintained the lead until the final lap, when Denny Hamlin passed him below the yellow line (out of bounds line), as Busch passed him on the other side. Hamlin passed Newman below the yellow line giving the win to Kurt Busch. There were four cautions and 28 lead changes among ten different drivers throughout the course of the race. It was Busch's first win in the 2011 season, as well as his first win at a track that uses restrictor plates, such as Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. A total of 80,000 people attended the race, while 7.8 million watched it on television. (More...)

The 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on February 27, 2011 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps, it was the second race of the 2011 season. The race was won by Jeff Gordon for the Hendrick Motorsports team. Kyle Busch finished second, and Jimmie Johnson clinched third. Pole position driver Carl Edwards maintained his lead on the first lap to begin the race, as Kurt Busch, who started in the second position on the grid, remained behind him. On the 29th lap, the first caution was given. Because of debris. Forty-eight laps later, a multiple car accident occurred, which involved 13 drivers. Afterward, several lead changes, and four more cautions occurred. With nine laps remaining, Gordon passed Kyle Busch for the first position. Gordon maintained the lead to win his first race of the season, and his first in more than 60 races. There were eight cautions and 29 lead changes among 12 different drivers throughout the course of the race, Gordon's first win of the season. The result moved Gordon to the sixth position in the Drivers' Championship. He remained 15 points behind first place driver Kyle Busch and one ahead of Bobby Labonte in seventh. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet had twelve points, four points ahead of Dodge. A total of 75,000 people attended the race, while 10.36 million watched it on television. (More...)

The 2010 Toyota/Save Mart 350 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on June 20, 2010 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. Contested over 110 laps, it was the sixteenth race of the 2010 Sprint Cup Series season and the first of two road course competitions on the schedule. The race was won by Jimmie Johnson, for the Hendrick Motorsports team. Robby Gordon finished second, and Kevin Harvick, who started fourth, clinched third. Conditions were sunny at the start of the race, making the track potentially slippery. Pole position driver Kasey Kahne maintained his lead into the first corner, but Johnson, who had started in the second position on the grid, took the lead before the first lap was over. Kahne suffered an ill-handling car during the beginning of the race, causing him to fall to seventh by the sixth lap. Seven laps before the finish, race leader Marcos Ambrose, turned his car off to try to save fuel, but he could not refire the engine and subsequently stalled. He dropped back from the lead to sixth place with seven laps remaining, allowing Kahne to finish fourth and Jeff Gordon fifth. There were eight cautions and twelve lead changes among eight different drivers throughout the course of the race, Johnson's fourth win of the season and his first ever at Infineon. The result moved him up four spots to second in the Drivers' Championship, 140 points behind of leader Kevin Harvick and one ahead of Kyle Busch. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, nine points ahead of Toyota and forty-three ahead of Dodge, with twenty races remaining in the season. (More...)

The 2011 Daytona 500, the 53rd running of the event, was held on February 20, 2011 at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida over 200 laps on the 2.5 mile (4 km) asphalt tri-oval. First race of the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season, it was won by the Wood Brothers Racing team entrant Trevor Bayne who became the youngest winner of the race. Carl Edwards was second ahead of David Gilliland.

Pole position driver Kurt Busch led from the start ahead of Jeff Gordon who started second on the grid. The crowd stood in silence during lap 3 to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Dale Earnhardt. On lap 30 a multiple accident occurred involving 17 drivers. On lap 197 the fifteenth caution was flagged causing green-white-checker finish. David Ragan was leading at the time but was black flagged for moving into the lower lane before the finish line. Immediately after the restart, a sixteenth caution was given. Bayne took the lead on the lap 206 restart and maintained it to win his first NASCAR race and Wood Brothers' fifth Daytona 500.

There were 16 cautions and 74 lead changes among 22 different drivers throughout. Following the race, Edwards led the Drivers' Championship with 42 points, one ahead of Gilliland and Bobby Labonte. Ford led the Manufacturer Championship with nine points, three ahead of Toyota and five ahead of Dodge. A total of 182,000 people attended the race, while 15.6 million watched it on television.

(More...)

Tim Richmond (June 7, 1955 - August 13, 1989) was an American race car driver from Ashland, Ohio. He competed in IndyCar racing before transferring to NASCAR's Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series). Richmond was the first driver to change from open wheel racing to NASCAR stock cars, which has since become an industry trend. He won the 1980 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year award and had 13 victories during eight NASCAR seasons. Richmond achieved his top NASCAR season in 1986 when he finished third in points. He won seven races that season, more than any other driver on the tour. When he missed the season-opening Daytona 500 in February 1987, media reported that he had pneumonia. The infection most likely resulted from his compromised immune system, which had been weakened by AIDS. The disease would drastically shorten his life. Despite the state of his health, Richmond competed in eight races in 1987, winning two events and one pole position before his final race in August of that year. He attempted a comeback in 1988 before NASCAR banned him for testing positive for a banned substance. Richmond grew up in a wealthy family and lived a debauched lifestyle, earning him the nickname "Hollywood". In describing Richmond's influence in the sport of racing, Lowe's Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler said: "We've never had a race driver like Tim in stock car racing. He was almost a James Dean-like character." When Richmond was cast for a bit part in the 1983 movie Stroker Ace, "He fell right in with the group working on the film," said director Hal Needham. Cole Trickle, the main character in the movie Days of Thunder, played by Tom Cruise, was loosely based on Richmond and his interaction with Harry Hyde and Rick Hendrick. (More...)

The 2010 AAA 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on September 26, 2010 at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware. The 400 lap race was the twenty-eighth in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as well as the second race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season. The race was won by Jimmie Johnson, of the Hendrick Motorsports team. Jeff Burton finished second, and Joey Logano, who started nineteenth, clinched third.

Pole position driver Jimmie Johnson maintained his lead on the first lap to begin the race, as A. J. Allmendinger, who started in the second position on the grid, remained behind him. Fourteen laps later Allmendinger became the leader of the race. Chase for the Sprint Cup participants Clint Bowyer, and Tony Stewart were in the top ten for most of the race, but in the closing laps all of them suffered spins or other problems. Afterward, Johnson became the leader of the race, once Allmendinger pitted because of a loose wheel. Johnson maintained the first position to lead the most laps of 191, and to win his sixth race of the season.

There were four cautions and eighteen lead changes among ten different drivers throughout the course of the race. It was Jimmie Johnson's sixth win in the 2010 season, and the fifty-third of his career. The result moved Johnson up to second in the Drivers' Championship, thirty-five points behind Denny Hamlin and ten ahead of Kyle Busch. Chevrolet maintained its lead in the Manufacturers' Championship, thirty-five ahead of Toyota and eighty ahead of Ford, with eight races remaining in the season. A total of 88,000 people attended the race, while 3.966 million watched it on television.

(More...)

The Unocal-Darlington Record Club was a club in the NASCAR Grand National and Winston Cup Series from 1959 to about 2001, based at Darlington Raceway. Membership was achieved based on setting qualifying records during time trials for the annual Southern 500 held on Labor Day weekend. During its heyday, it was considered one of the most prestigious and exclusive clubs in motorsports.The club was sponsored by longtime NASCAR sponsor Unocal/Union 76. Previously it was sponsored by Pure Oil. At some time after the 2001 season, the club was quietly retired. The club ended permanently when Unocal left the sport in 2003, and the Southern 500 was removed from the schedule after 2004.The original eight charter members were selected in 1959: Dick Joslin (Dodge), Marvin Panch (Ford), Joe Caspolich (Oldsmobile), Bob Burdick (Thuderbird), Speedy Thompson (Chevrolet), Richard Petty (Plymouth), Elmo Langley (Buick), and Fireball Roberts (Pontiac). Roberts was selected as the first president; Former Darlington Raceway president Bob Colvin contributed in creating the club. (More...)

The 2010 Ford 400 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race that was held on November 21, 2010 at Homestead Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida. The 267 lap race was the thirty-sixth in the 2010 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as well as the final race in the ten-race Chase for the Sprint Cup, which ends the season. The race was won by Carl Edwards for the Roush Fenway Racing team. Jimmie Johnson finished second, and Kevin Harvick clinched third. Pole position driver Kasey Kahne maintained his lead on the first lap of the race. Edwards started in the second position on the grid, and became the leader of the race on the fourth lap. Shortly after a restart on lap 22, championship leader Denny Hamlin spun sideways, resulting with damage to his splitter. Martin Truex, Jr. took the lead on lap 73, but after the final pit stops Edwards was first. He maintained the lead to win the race, having led it for 192 laps. A total of 67,000 people attended the race, while 5.605 million watched it on television. There were ten cautions in the race, as well as twenty-five lead changes among nine different drivers. Edwards' victory was his second win in the 2010 season, with the first coming the previous week at the Kobalt Tools 500. Jimmie Johnson won the Drivers' Championship, 39 points ahead of Denny Hamlin. Johnson's team owner Rick Hendrick won the Owners' Championship. Chevrolet won the Manufacturer Championship with 261 points, 44 points ahead of Toyota. (Read more...)

The 2011 Subway Fresh Fit 500 was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stock car race held on February 27, 2011 at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Arizona. Contested over 312 laps, it was the second race of the 2011 season and was won by Jeff Gordon for Hendrick Motorsports from Kyle Busch in second and Jimmie Johnson third. Carl Edwards led the first lap from pole position ahead of Kurt Busch who started second on the grid. The race was caution free until lap 29 (debris), and then 48 laps later a multiple crash occurred involving 13 drivers. Later there were several lead changes, and another four cautions. With nine laps remaining, Gordon took the lead from Kyle Busch to win his first race of the season, his first in more than 60 races. There were eight cautions and 29 lead changes among 12 different drivers during the race. Gordon's win moved him to sixth position in the drivers' championship, 15 points behind leader Kyle Busch and one ahead of Bobby Labonte in seventh. In the Manufacturers' Championship, Toyota, Ford and Chevrolet had 12 points, four ahead of Dodge. A total of 75,000 people attended the race, and 10.36 million watched it on television. (Read more...)

Phoenix International Raceway, also known as PIR, is a one-mile, low-banked tri-oval race track located in Avondale, Arizona. The track opened in 1964 and currently hosts two NASCAR race weekends annually. PIR has also hosted the Indycar Series, CART, USAC and the Rolex Sports Car Series. The raceway is currently owned and operated by International Speedway Corporation.

The raceway was originally constructed with a 2.5 miles (4.0 km) road course that ran both inside and outside of the main tri-oval. In 1991 the track was reconfigured with the current 1.51 miles (2.43 km) interior layout. PIR has an estimated grandstand seating capacity of around 67,000. Lights were installed around the track in 2004 following the addition of a second annual NASCAR race weekend.

Phoenix International Raceway is home to two annual NASCAR race weekends, one of 13 facilities on the NASCAR schedule to host more than one race weekend a year. The track is both the first and last stop on the West Coast, as well as the second and second-to-last track on the schedule. (Read more...)

Jeffrey Pollack (born circa 1965) is the former Commissioner of the World Series of Poker. Pollack earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from Northwestern University. He then received two master's degrees. He earned his first master's from The Graduate School of Political Management and his second in sports management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Pollack later completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University. His first job was a political consultant. He then served as Vice President of Winner & Associates. Prior to joining Harrah's Entertainment and serving as WSOP Commissioner, Pollack held prominent roles with NASCAR and the National Basketball Association (NBA). Pollack has been named to Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal of "40 Under 40" and twice to The Sporting News 100. He has also won two Emmy Awards. Pollack is married, and resides in both Los Angeles and Las Vegas. His half-brother is Gary Bettman, the Commissioner of the National Hockey League. (Read more...)