With his victory at Daytona, Tony Stewart has won three races this season.
Terry Renna/AP

While Tony Stewart may have won the Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night, it was his qualifying efforts that had NASCAR officials issuing a penalty. Stewart, who originally qualified second for the race, had his time disallowed because of an illegal air duct inside the car. Stewart would end up starting the race in 42nd position. Read the rest of this entry »

Kurt Busch celebrates with crew members after winning the Nationwide Series NASCAR auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Friday, July 6, 2012, in Daytona Beach, Fla. Photo: Terry Renna / AP

James Finch, Kurt Busch’s car owner, has never doubted his driver’s ability to wheel a race car and on Friday night his confidence was rewarded in a stunning final lap charge that took him to victory lane in the Subway Jalapeno 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

Busch, who was suspended for one race a month ago for challenging Sporting News reporter Bob Pockrass, drove Finch’s unsponsored No. 1 Chevrolet to Gatorade Victory Lane and in the process he put on an impressive show.

“I don’t care about me right now,” Busch said. “Tonight is about Phoenix Racing.”

Busch was involved in a 16-car pileup with just 35 laps left in the race but that didn’t slow the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion down.

The race went into over time, where Busch started fourth but got himself out front in turn three. He was able to hold off the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion off for his second Nationwide Series win of the season and first with Phoenix Racing. His first win came earlier this season with Kyle Busch Motorsports at Richmond International Raceway.

The race set a record with 42 lead changes and 16 different leaders, besting the previous mark set at Daytona earlier this season.

Kurt Busch led the most with 23, while Patrick was next with 14.

There was also plenty of wrecks as well.

One was involving NASCAR’s media darling, Danica Patrick. Her No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet slammed head first into the inside retaining wall with 16 laps remaining. She would finish 31st. Her in-car camera would show her steering wheel popping up. Luckily she would remove her hands from the wheel prior to this happening.

“Yeah, bummer,” she said. “It kind of felt like the IndyCar days when you are close a couple of times. It’s just frustrating when that’s the case. What are you going to do? There was an accident happening in front of me, and the best thing that you can do is try and get around it. I haven’t seen a replay, but I know there was an accident in front of me.”

The next race for the NASCAR Nationwide Series is next Saturday afternoon at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

In the meantime, keep an eye out for penalties coming from Joey Logano, who failed post race inspection, and Austin Dillon, who failed post qualifying inspection.

By Terry Renna, AP
David Ragan holds up the winner’s trophy as he celebrates after winning the NASCAR Coke Zero 400 auto race at Daytona International Speedway.

Let’s get ready for some NASCAR racing from Daytona International Speedway. This weekend the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series’ take to the 2.5 mile asphalt tri-oval for some night racing.  Last year, Roush-Fenway Racing’s David Ragan was able to capture his first Sprint Cup Series victory. Now that he is with Front Row Racing can he do it again? And on the Nationwide side, we have Austin Dillon trying to bounce back after losing points when his No. 3 failed post race inspection following his first win in the series.

Thursday, July 5, 2012:

2:30 PM NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice SPEED
4:00PM NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice SPEED
5:30PM NASCAR Nationwide Series Final Practice SPEED
6:30PM NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice SPEED
8:00PM Trackside SPEED
(Guests Include Cole Whitt and AJ Allmendinger)

NASCAR Nationwide Series:

2011 Pole Winner: Kevin Harvick
2011 Winner: Joey Logano
Laps: 100
Distance:  250 Miles

Friday, July 6, 2012:

3:30PM NASCAR Live SPEED
4:00PM NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying SPEED
6:30PM Trackside Re-Air SPEED
(Guests include Cole Whitt and AJ Allmendinger)
7:30PM NASCAR Nationwide Series Race SPEED
(Subway Jalapeno 250. In-Race Reporter Austin Dillon)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series:

2011 Pole Winner: Mark Martin
2011 Winner: David Ragan
Laps:  160
Distance: 400 Miles

Saturday, July 7, 2012:

11:00 AM Trackside Re-Air SPEED
(Guests include Cole Whitt and AJ Allmendinger)
3:30PM NASCAR Performance SPEED
4:00PM NASCAR Speed Center SPEED
4:30PM NASCAR RaceDay SPEED
6:30PM Countdown to Green TNT
7:30PM NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race TNT
(Coke Zero 400 presented by Coca-Cola)
11:00PM NASCAR Victory Lane SPEED

*As Always, All Times are Eastern Standard Time*

NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Austin Dillon celebrates winning the Feed the Children 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Mandatory credit: Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

For the first since Dale Earnhardt, Jr. won at Daytona International Speedway nearly two years ago has the No. 3 been in victory lane in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Tonight add Austin Dillon to the list of drivers celebrating behind the wheel of the infamous number, but this time in a black number 3.

“It is awesome for the races who support me,” Dillon said about driving the number 3 to victory lane.

Dillon, who captured the Coors Light Pole earlier on Friday, dominated the Feed the Children 300 leading a new record of 192 of the 200 laps. He would surpass Carl Edwards who had the previous record of 150 laps, set back in 2005 during this race.

Kyle Busch, owner of the No. 54 driven by his brother Kurt Busch, described Dillion’s domination as being on the “money” the entire race. Read the rest of this entry »

Image from the NASCAR Nationwide Series Twitter Account

The Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series share a race weekend again, but it was a fulltime NASCAR Nationwide Series driver who captured the pole for the 12th Annual Feed the Children 300 from Kentucky Speedway. Austin Dillion, driver of the No. 3 for Richard Childress Racing, captured his second pole of the season with a speed of 172.199mph. Dillon beat out his RCR teammate, Kevin Harvick, and Penske Racing driver and previous winner Brad Keselowski. Coverage for the Feed the Children 300 starts Friday at 7pm EST with the NASCAR Countdown on ESPN.

Starting Lineup:

1. Austin Dillon
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Sam Hornish, Jr.
5. Ricky Stenhouse, Jr.
6. Denny Hamlin
7.  Justin Allgaier
8. Kurt Busch
9. Michael Annett
10. Cole Whitt (In-Race Reporter)
11. Danica Patrick
12. Elliott Sadler
13. James Buescher (Won the Truck Race last night)
14. Ryan Blaney
15. Brian Scott
16. Jamie Dick
17. Mike Bliss
18. Josh Richards
19. Jason Bowles
20. Brad Sweet
21. Jeremy Clements
22. Scott Speed
23. Tanner Berryhill
24. Joe Nemechek
25. Reed Sorenson
26. Kenny Wallace
27. Danny Efland
28. Jeff Green
29. Scott Riggs
30. Timmy Hill
31. Chase Miller
32. Tim Andrews
33. Tayler Malsam
34. Mike Wallace
35. Erik Darnell
36. Morgan Shepherd
37. TJ Bell
38. Josh Wise
39. Kevin Lepage
40. Eric McClure
41. Jamie Mosley
42. Johanna Long
43. Blake Koch

 DNQ: John Jackson

Austin Dillon poses with the Coors Light Pole award after qualifying for pole position for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Alliance Truck Parts 250 at Michigan International Speedway on June 16, 2012. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

With a lap of 37.820 seconds, 190.375 mph(a new track record btw), Austin Dillon was able to capture his first Coors Light Pole Award for Saturday afternoon’s Alliance Truck Parts 250 at Michigan International Speedway. The original qualifying record of 186.548mph was set by Greg Biffle in 2007. This is Dillon’s 12th top ten of the 2012 season.  The 21st Annual Alliance Truck Parts 250 begins with the NASCAR Countdown on ABC at 3:30 EST.

Starting Lineup:

Danica couldn't avoid the crashes at Daytona the weekend

By Jordan Luchkiw

If you happened to miss any of the racing this past weekend at Daytona International Speedway, you missed some of the most exciting and costly racing we will see all year. Not only am I talking about the now infamous 54^th Daytona 500, but also the Nationwide Series race.  The Drive 4 COPD 300. Much of the hype leading up to the Nationwide series opener centered around Danica Patrick starting her first full season in the series, and Tony Stewart going for 5 in a row in the February event.

The weekend got off to a great start for Danica as she claimed her first pole in the Nationwide series.  Her pole was the first for a female in the series since Shanua Robinson did so at Atlanta in 1994. While Danica was all the rage she wasn’t the main storyline leaving the event.

Most of the drama centered around the mass amounts of cautions that took place, highlighted by a last lap last turn 4 crash taking out much of the top ten and allowing Camping World Truck series regular James Buescher, to come from 11^th out of turn 4 to go on and win the race his first in the Nationwide series race. Read the rest of this entry »