Lowe's Motor Speedway
NASCAR Stocks (Top 10 Rankings): Movin’ Up, Goin’ Down
It’s a tight field in the top ten, and the ranks keep shifting. What I like about this season, is you never really know what’s going to happen. I was lucky enough to predict Kasey Kahne’s victory, but the truth is that there’s very little separation from driver to driver. Things are a little different this week, and I think you’ll be surprised where some guy landed.
#10- Kasey Kahne- (unranked last week)- Can a little confidence make that much difference? Apart of the reason, I predicted a Kahne win was the way he carried himself during his press conference after the All-Star win. He’s gone from acting like a top 15 driver to acting like a champion. Gillett Evernham has benefited greatly on Ray Evernham’s emphasis on the racing side of things. They keep this up, and we’ll see Elliott Sadler in the chase!
#9- Greg Biffle- (unranked last week)- The two week run at Lowe’s has been good for “The Biff” too. Except for Kahne’s Coca-Cola 600 win, Biffle is better across the board than the “9.”
#8- Tony Stewart- (unchanged from last week)- A flat tire was all that kept him from winning at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. But have no fear Smoke fans, it ain’t July yet, and history tells us that Stewart heats up with the weather. Statistically, the “Big Orange” is just ahead of Biffle in terms of average finish, 14.7 to 15.1.
#7- Jeff Gordon- (up 2 spots from 9th last week)- Based on the way he ran most of the race, I never would have imagined him here. The way Gordon’s talking right now, he’s the “anti-Kahne.” Take it easy Jeff, you’re getting better. Your average finish of 9.6 is 4th behind Kyle Busch, Junior, and Jeff Burton.
#6- Denny Hamlin- (down 3 spots from 3rd last week)- I’m quite sure some members of Junior Nation feel like Denny’s 24th place finish was just desserts after Hamlin swatted JRM driver Brad Keselowski in the Nationwide Series Saturday night. Hamlin’s starting to fade, but his 4th place standing in the points reminds us of what he’s accomplished up until recently.
#5- Clint Bowyer- (up 1 spot from 6th last week)- Bowyer’s been kind of quiet since the traveling NASCAR circus came to Concord, but 1 win, 3 top 5s, and 7 top 10s cannot be ignored.
#4- Jeff Burton- (up 1 spot from 5th last week)- “Mr. Consistency” racked up another top 10, 6th in Sunday’s marathon race. All race long, you kind of forget he’s around, then, the checkered flag drops, and by golly, there he is. Burton is 2nd in the points, and tied for 3rd in top 10s with Carl Edwards- both racers have 8.
#3- Carl Edwards- (down from 2nd last week)- Did Edwards really race Sunday? I gotta say that’s just about the quietest top 10 anyone’s ever run. I think Carl lucked up on attrition, but hey, it’s all about where you are at the end, and the Missourian managed to miss all the mid-race fireworks and kept gas in his car.
#2- Dale Earnhardt Jr.- (up 2 from 4th last week)- Give Junior props for not quitting on his team Sunday. It would have been a legendary finish if he could have come back from the wreck with J.J. Yeley to take the checkered. Kinda makes you think of Earnhardt’s old man, doesn’t it? The only drivers more consistent than Lil “E” have been Kyle Busch and Burton.
#1- Kyle Busch- (unchanged from last week)- Love him or hate him, you can’t ignore him. Give “Rowdy” props for fighting through mechanical problems to finish 3rd at Lowe’s behind Kahne and Biffle. I thought the altercation with Gordon was childish, but that doens’t affect the points, it just solidifies his standing as “NASCAR’s resident bad boy.” Still, Busch keeps running like a scared jackrabbit.
Falling Out- Sorry Johnson fans, Jimmie’s 38th place finish hurt him this week. He’ll be back. David Ragan didn’t last long in the top 10, BUT Ragan’s 12th place run Sunday reinforces the idea he’s capable of running up front and staying there.
Ready to Strike- Kevin Harvick is actually 7th in points, a couple of good races and he’ll be back. I’d also keep my eyes open for runs by Matt Kenseth, and maybe even Juan Montoya.
Up next is the “Monster Mile”- Dover. Check out tomorrow’s preview as we bring you another edition of “Pull Those Belts Tight!”
Race Re-Cap: Raisin’ Kahne (Here’s to The End of a Long Dry Spell)
Kasey Kahne is back! Fans are witness to a transformation as a rising NASCAR star gets his career back on track. It’s hard to believe that it was only two short years since Kasey Kahne won 6 races in one season. After a winless streak of 52 races, the 5th year driver follows up an encouraging All-Star effort with a win in the 2008 edition of the Coca- Cola 600. If you include last week’s non-points win, Kahne won his 4th race at Lowe’s. It bears repeating: if Lowe’s is Jimmie Johnson’s house, then Kasey Kahne must be renting out a floor from Jimmie.
Kahne looked like a finisher from the green flag. I have to admit, the action was slow enough in the opening laps, I snuck in a power nap. I awoke to find I didn’t miss much. However- over time- I’ve learned some races run in stages and it pays to stick around. After “Rowdy Shrub” Busch played Pied Piper for the first 100 laps or so, things began to get interesting. Kahne hung around, but we got looks at Brian Vickers up front, Kurt Busch looked as good as I’ve seen since Daytona, and Jimmie Johnson and Junior looked predictably good. We had a lot of drama and craziness along the way, but Kahne ran a smart race and he was there to capitalize on troubles for Stewart, Earnhardt and Busch. “The Coke” is a battle of attrition, and the team of Kahne, Kenny Francis and Ray Evernham had it all going for them today.
“The Rocky Balboa Award” has to go to Lil ”E.” I must admit that while Junior was ”rolling fly and lookin’ phat” there was a part of me saying “I wonder how it’s going to fall apart on Junior this week.” And sure enough, Earnhardt brushes the wall and gets rammed by J.J. Yeley. BUT after all that, Dale hung in there and pulled out a 5th place. He will win soon Junior Nation, you can bank on it. Just remember, Junebug is 3rd in points, finishing races and running well. I’d take that over Kyle Petty’s problems any day of the week. Kevin Harvick also had another solid finish, in spite of the fact that “Happy” once again seemed to have a mediocre race car. Harvick looks like he’s been taking lessons in survival from teammate Jeff Burton.
What a bummer for Brian Vickers. It’s obvious that the “83″ really likes Lowe’s and he sure looked like a top 5 today, but what a wreck! That crash will make its way to plenty of crash montages for years to come. Poor David Gilliland takes the loose wheel on the hood and it lands in the infield with the campers. It’s kinda funny, but I’m just glad no one got hurt. It was also an unlucky day for Jimmie Johnson (HMS’ first blown motor since the Bronze Age), and Tony Stewart (blown tire).
It would have been nice to see an old hoss like Mark Martin, Dave Blaney or Bobby Labonte win today, but by the same token I’m happy for Kasey Kahne.
There was a lot of wheel and tire troubles today. It will be interesting to hear what the drivers have to say about this over the course of the next several days.
I may be a West Coaster and get to see the race earlier than a lot of you, but even I was wornout by race’s end.
It wasn’t the best race I’d ever seen, but perhaps we can say it was the best mile and a half race we’ve had all year.
HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY! AND TO ALL YOU VETS OUT THERE, WE SALUTE YOU. THANKS TO YOU, WE CAN ALL ARGUE ABOUT NASCAR INSTEAD OF TILLING CROP IN KOMRADE PUTIN’S GARDEN.
Fearless Forecast: Deja Vu at Charlotte?
It has to be a match made in Heaven when a driver rocks at his sponsor’s track. Of course, conspiracy theorists who say NASCAR is rigged have a field day with the fact that Jimmie Johnson has 5 victories at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. It would also be too easy to predict the “48″ as the winner of the Coca-Cola 600, especially given that he’s won the holiday marathon race 3 times.
But I’m not going to….
Don’t get me wrong, Jimmie is in the mix big time. I, for one, do not think his mojo is completely gone, and I believe he will be top 5 for the 2008 season. By the same token, something in my gut tells me he’s not winning this one. As a matter of fact, I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the best Hendrick performance will come from Jeff Gordon. Johnson still has some bouts of inconsistency with getting the car set up just right for him. In fact, I’ll go as far as to say that Johnson may be the surest evidence how difficult this car is to get a handle on for driving. By the same token, it’s like Jeff Burton said on “NASCAR Confidential” yesterday- it’s still way early yet, and in due time, teams will get it figured out. As for Dale Jr., my opinion is that he’s pressing and still over-driving his cars, something that does not bode well for a 600-mile race.
Speaking of people who over-drive their cars, I will go on record once again this week by saying Kyle Busch will NOT win. Granted, it wasn’t his fault that Joe Gibbs’ experimental engine bailed on him and cost him the win in the All-Star race. I am also aware that “Shrub” said he would work to not push his car over the line. Saying it and doing it are two different things however.
I expect that Roush will be represented at or near the front. Matt Kenseth is too good to stay down long. Greg Biffle is coming off a good week. Carl Edwards is well, Carl Edwards- and he has a mastery of the mile and a half’s. David Ragan may also continue his unlikely run of looking good and running strong. This is, after all, a race known for producing first victories (such as last year’s Coke 600 winner Casey Mears).
Keep your eyes open for Childress boys. I’m not sure which one, if not all three drivers between Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer will run well. I actually think this race favors Burton’s conservative approach. One if not all of these guys will run well.
But my pick does not come from this team…
My pick is a guy who’s running with a high level of confidence right now. He’s also a good one for not wearing out his equipment. He’s also been a multiple race winner here, sweeping the 2006 schedule at Lowe’s, and he was also last week’s All-Star race winner.
I’m going to go with Kasey Kahne.
Kahne’s had SOME good runs, though he’s had a hard time getting to the top five or victory lane. But just listen to his interviews, and you can tell he’s there in terms of his confidence. Your crew chief is important in a distance race like this, and I think the Enumclaw, Washington native’s pit boss, Kenny Francis has the perfect working relationship with his driver. The gutsy call from last week only enhances that relationship.
Of course, having former race strategist extrodinaire Ray Evernham as your owner certainly doesn’t hurt.
Pull Those Belts Tight!- The Coca- Cola 600 Edition
Up Next: The Coca-Cola 600, Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina, May 26, 2008. Green flag- 5:30 p.m. EDT, 2:30 p.m. PDT. Broadcast on FOX-TV with Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip and Larry Mc Reynolds. Radio broadcast on MRN and Sirius Satellite Network.
Track Facts: The First green flag waved for a Cup race here on June 19, 1960. Joe Lee Johnson was the first to see the checkered flag.
Lowe’s Motor Speedway is a mile-and-a-half oval track with 24-degrees of banking in the turns, and 5 degrees on the straights. Track conditions will change considerably mid-race as the race goes from day to night.
The Sprint Cup record for wins at LMS is shared by Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison who each won 6. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon lead active drivers with 5 apiece. Mark Martin has won 6 races at this track in a Nationwide car.
Casey Mears won last year’s Coca-Cola 600, Jeff Gordon won the Bank of America 500 in October, 2007.
Other Track Records: The qualifying record is held by Elliott Sadler with a time of 27.948 seconds at a speed of 193.216 m.p.h. on October 15, 2005. The “King Of Qualifying” is David Pearson, who captured 14 during his lengthy career.
The fastest race? That was run by Jeff Gordon with a speed of 160.306 m.p.h., running the October 11, 1999 race in a time of 3 hours, 7 minutes, and 31 seconds. Fred Lorenzen has the record for a 400 mile race (1964), and Bobby Labonte has the record for a 600 mile event (1995), but their speeds (134.559 m.p.h. and 151.952 m.p.h. respectively) do not approach Gordon’s.
The oldest winner at Lowe’sis Cale Yarborough, winning the 1985 Miller 500 at age 46 years, 6 months, and 9 days. The youngest? Jeff Gordon, who at age 22 years, 9 months and 25 days won the 1994 Coca- Cola 600.
A record number of yellow flags waved here 22 times on May 29, 2005. 0 cautions flew on May 21, 1961.
“The 600″ is NASCAR’s answer to a marathon event. Fuel mileage smarts helped pave the way to Casey Mear’s maiden victory last year. The fact the J.J. Yeley and Kyle Petty finished second and third tells yo this race’s outcome can be a little different.
As I mentioned earlier, drivers and crews have to be prepared for changing conditions as the race goes on. You can figure that about the first 2 and a half hours will be in dwindling daylight, and could go as late as another hour to an hour and half under the lights. A driver’s endurance will also be tested. I don’t know how you’d measure a driver’s ability to focus long-term, but it’s not hard to imagine you will need plenty of mental and physical fuel in the tank to take the checkered flag at about 10 p.m.
No doubt Kasey Kahne (who for those of you in Rio Linda won last week’s all-star race at LMS) also has demonstrated mastery of the speedway by sweeping the 2006 races, will be poised for victory. The aforementioned Gordon and Johnson have their record of success, plus Ryan Newman has a pile of poles. Some other racers to keep your eye on who’ve run well here are Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Bobby Labonte, and Mark Martin.
Saturday- I’ll offer up my predicted winner in the “Fearless Forecast.”
NASCAR Terminology- A NASCAR For Dummies Primer
Bite: We have two definitions for this term. (1) “Round of bite” describes the turning or adjusting of a car’s jacking screws found at each wheel. “Weight jacking” distributes the car’s weight at each wheel. (2) Adhesion of a tire to the track surface.
Tri-oval: A racetrack that has a “hump” or “fifth turn” in addition to the standard four corners. Not to be confused with a triangle shaped speedway, which has only three distinct corners.
Stagger: The difference in size between the tires on the left and right sides of a car. Because of a tire’s makeup, slight variations in circumference result. Stagger between right-side and left-side tires may range from less than a half inch to more than an inch. Stagger only applies to bias-ply tires and not radials.
That’s all for this week. Be sure to thank a vet as we celebrate their sacrifices this weekend. Until race day, be sure to take it easy in the turns and keep it off the wall!
Keepin’ It Off The Wall: Ready for the win
Heading into NASCAR’s longest race - the Coca-Cola 600 - three Hendrick drivers do not have a win yet this season. A lot of the questions this year about Hendricks, quote “Slump”, is triggered by last year’s performance with now two-time, defending NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion - Jimmie Johnson, the only driver in the Hendrick stable this year with a win.
With this be the week that another Hendrick driver - say Casey Mears who won the Memorial Day event last year. The Mears family, however, has a lot of history in Charlotte. In fact, Casey’s uncle, Rick Mears, started the Mears success of auto racing events occurring on Memorial Day weekend.
“Going into the 600, I am just real excited,” Mears said. “To come back and be able to defend a title for the first time at one of the biggest races of the year, being the month of May … I think we have a great shot at it and I am looking forward to it. Once of the real cool things from a team standpoint, coming back to Lowe’s we are bringing the 500th chassis that Hendrick Motorsports has built. That is a big deal and a milestone for the team. It would be great to have a victory with that car.”
Casey Mears isn’t the only Hendrick driver hunting for a win, don’t forget the likeness of Jeff Gordon. His last win was last year’s October 13, 2007 win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Bank of America 500. Gordon led 72 laps in his DuPont Chevrolet, holding off Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Jeff Burton, and Carl Edwards for the win in the 500 miles race.
And, who can possibly forget the most popular driver, you know the one without a victory in 73 races. Don’t even begin to tell me or JR Nation that his fans, and Dale Jr. and the rest of the Amp Energy Chevrolet aren’t ready to take the checkered flag this weekend. Dale Jr. is at the point where nearly every track is one where he has performed well at, so he can almost be considered a favorite every weekend. Many people believe that he is close to his breaking point. He is by far the most consistent driver in the HMS stable. And, it’s hard for too many guys to win when Rowdy keeps taking the checkers. Talk about sticking it to the man. Kyle Busch is a winning mad man right now, and he is also a favorite for this weekend, as he is a favorite at everything right now!
This weekend will hopefully be a little more interesting than last week’s All-Star Race. Last weekend, the leader would always lap the field when he was in clean air. If that is the case, NASCAR’s longest race will seem even longer.
What was Humpy thinking??
I am going to assume that Humpy had a better vision than a reality after the mess that was, the Burnout Competition.
In the first annual event, drivers had to get a tire smoking, tear jerking, shredding start, make two complete 360 “donuts”, then, smoke through “Victory Lane” a little ways past the start/finish line.
Greg Biffle and Kyle Busch were the only ones who actually followed the rules. Clint Bowyer gave an encore after completing, but he did not come to a complete stop in Victory Lane, so he got docked 5 seconds.
I am still trying to comprehend what in the world Jimmie Johnson was thinking. He said in an “after-burnout” interview he was trying to knock down all the cones. He did get an event-record 20 seconds in penalties.
Greg Biffle was the overall winner. He got 10-grand donated to his foundation.
A good idea gone bad for Humpy. The fans didn’t really enjoy it as much as thought at first. The rules confused the fans and drivers. If they indeed decide to have a Second Annual, I would suggest they just make it a free-style format, and let the fans decide the winner based on croud volume.
Race Re-Cap: “The People’s Choice” Is All-Star Winner
What a breakthrough for Kasey Kahne. The last time the Enumclaw, Washington native visited Victory Lane was at this very same track in a sweep of Charlotte in 2006. If LMS is the “house that Jimmie built,” then Kasey must be the guy who bought it!
How fitting that the winner is the guy the fans voted in. The favorite of nutty soccer moms everywhere wouldn’t been here otherwise, but he fought, clawed from the back of the field and otherwise hung around and put himself in a position to be there when it counted- outlasting Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Denny Hamlin and Greg Biffle.
A big assist goes out toe crew chief Kenny Francis. Commentators could not believe that Kahne and a handful of other drivers would pass up tire changes on the final pit stop before the 4th and final segment. In fact, Darrell Waltrip was JUST POSITIVE that “The Biff” would catch Kahne on the final green, but it was nothing doing for the #16 Ford.
Random Notes-
I want ya’ll to know I heard that snickering when Kyle’s car gave up. Love or hate him, he ain’t going away…What a bummer for Elliott Sadler. I think he had a car that could have made a good showing before he got hosed by A.J. Allmendinger in the “Showdown.”….I’ll be curious to see if there’s any truth to this idea that JGR experimented with an old engine tonight that had given them problems before. Here’s some free advice guys. If that was case, blow that mother up!….It will be interesting to see if there’s anything drivers can use from this experience to try to win at the Coca- Cola 600.
COMING SOON: “Everyone has a dream. Only a few get to live it.” Coming soon to the “Finish Line”- a weekly feature called “Road To Glory”where race fans will have the chance to follow a young racer who may one day be NASCAR’s “Next Big Thing”- Preston Jones, a 17 year old “Super 4″ racer from Central Point, Oregon.
Jones is already wracking up wins in the young season at Southern Oregon Speedway- a 1/3 mile dirt track near Medford, Oregon- including a dash from last to first. The high school junior aspires to NASCAR glory, one way or another. With a little help from me, Jones will chronicle his successes and failures as the 2008 season unfolds.
If you’ve ever wondered what it was like for a promising, young driver at the green flag of his career, you won’t want to miss this. That’s “Glory Road”- coming soon on Mondays at “The Finish Line.”
Fearless Forecast: Who Will Be “The Star” Among Stars?
A million dollar prize ought to be enough motivation for even the most successful of drivers hyped up to make this a premier all-star event. We’re talking about a dash for cash under the lights in NASCAR’s own back yard.
Zeroing in on a favorite requires a little look at history and taking into consderation who might be inclined to run well at the mile and a half speedway.
In terms of history, we’ve got the likes of Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon (who’s won this event 3 times), Dale Earnhardt Jr. have all won the all-star race. What also has to help Martin’s chances is the fact that this will be his 19th consecutive appearance, tying the record held by Rusty Wallace. I guess what I’m sayin here is that because this race is slightly different from a typical Cup event, with a shorter race and a smaller field, there might be ways to parlay that knowledge into an advantage.
As far as success at Lowe’s is concerned, Lowe’s Motor Speedway is the “House that Jimmie Johnson Built.” In addition to his all-star win in 2006, he’s had incredible points race success here at the track that bears the name of his primary sponsor. It sure raises the eyebrows of the conspiracy theorists. Johnson’s teammate and mentor Gordon also has his share of success at Lowe’s with 4 points race wins ON TOP OF the all-star wins. Again, Mark Martin shows up in the mix with 4 Cup race wins, as well as 2 Nationwide Series wins at the Charlotte track.
But history will only take you so far. Teams change and evolve and so do the drivers. Let us also not forget that the the “CoT” also changes things as well. We have to look for any clues we can find from THIS season to help our prognostication. I want to know who’s performed well lately on the high speed tracks. When factoring that in- names such as Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch, Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Carl Edwards come to mind. I’m thinking about top performers from Daytona, Talladega, Atlanta and Texas to name a few. I’ve gotta think that there smaller field (24) will make speed an even greater factor.
The shorter race will also benefit those who tend to go on mad bursts. Shrub, Junior, Smoke, and Cousin Carl and Denny Hamlin all have their 20-30 lap runs where they just look like juggernauts. If a driver can put it together at the right time, he may just make a route out of tonight’s race.
Then there’s the aggressive and the liberties one may take because it’s “all or nothing”, and because this is not for points. I will predict right now that Kyle Busch will NOT win this race. Don’t think for a moment that Junior or more likely his older brother Kurt might not “loosen him up” if they get near each other. Depending how hard or how obvious the incident is, the offending driver may get nothing worse than “probation.” I’d probably do it if I were somebody, though you don’t want to ruin your own chances in doing so. If that doesn’t happen- I still expect some guys that are known for their aggressiveness to really push the envelope.
The fans should be in for a fun night in the same vein of the Bud Shoot Out.
Oh…you want the winner. I’m gonna go with “Junebug.” Why? Think back to his performance at the Shootout or the Gatorade Duals or any shorter length event. He rocks! If Earnhardt has ha any problem this year, it’s just that his car seems to get away from him and his team as the race wears on. On the other hand, you take the first 100 laps of just about any race this year and you will find #88 at or near the front.
Other possibilities include Busch, Tony Stewart (who’s had great runs of his own), Jimmie, and the Evernham Dodges always look good in these events. You also can’t forget the ever-competitive Carl Edwards- who tends to be RIGHT THERE with Shrub and Junior.
A lot can happen. And it probably will.
Check it out!
After 178 races, Crafton gets first win
Matt Crafton has finally silenced all the doubt of win the first win in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career will come.
The number 88 Menards Chevrolet Silverado fought off another NASCAR young gun in a green white checker finish. It took Crafton a series record 178 races to win in the series.
Kyle Busch continued his hot streak until a late race incident with Hornaday.
Hornaday, in lamens terms, said the Busch incident was his fault, and apologized for the incident. However, the wreck that caused the race to go into “overdrive”, involved Hornaday as well. Hornaday wasn’t so “cool” with this one, claiming that Bodine intentionally wrecked him in the post race interview.
Another rookie shined as well, Chad McCumbee scored a career high finish of second place, holding on to contend for a win.
Brenden Gaughan, Erik Darnell, and Rick Crawford rounded out the top 5 finishers.
So it was a perfect mix of raw racing, a little controversy, and a little flash of rookie love.
Last time for Jarrett
The upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star race in Concord, NC is planned to be the career finale for Dale Jarrett. Wouldn’t it be great if he could win his first career all-star race this weekend?
Dale Jarrett will be in the race because of his 1999 Sprint Cup Series championship.
Dale Jarrett started his luxurious career in 1977. Racing at a Track his father (Ned Jarrett) owned, Hickory Motor Speedway.
“Enjoy this. We all have our time in this, and mine has been fantastic. To me, it has been an honor and a privilege to be able to race in this series and say I raced with and against and sometimes beat the best in the world. Thanks for allowing me to do that. Enjoy it. It’s a great sport, and you guys make it what it is.”
That was the quote from Dale Jarrett prior to his last points race at Bristol.
Dale Arnold Jarrett has achieved many awards and honors in his life. Including 1999 Sprint Cup champion, 2004 USG Person of the Year, and in 1998, he was named one of NASCAR’s 50 greatest drivers.
In 680 races, Jarrett has 32 wins, 163 top fives, 260 top tens, 16 poles, he has completed 185,947 laps (236,209.6 miles) - leading 6972 laps. Over 24 years of racing in NASCAR’s highest series, he has accumulated $46,725,581 in winnings.
At Lowe’s Motor Speedway, 3 wins in 42 starts.
So, this weekend, NASCAR will be saying Goodbye to a champion, and one of the greatest racers in the history of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing.
