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Race: Sunday, November 13, 2011 in Avondale, AZ
Title Sponsor: Kobalt Tools / Lowe's
Scheduled Green Flag (approx): 3:15pm/et
NASCAR Pre-race: ESPN's NASCAR Countdown - 2:00pm/et
Television Race Coverage: ESPN, 3:00pm/et
In the Booth: Allen Bestwick, Dale Jarrett, Andy Petree
Pit Reporters: Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Vince Welch, Dr. Jerry Punch
NASCAR Countdown: Nicole Briscoe, Brad Daugherty, Rusty Wallace
ESPN Craftsman Tech Garage: Tim Brewer
SPEED's NASCAR Raceday Pre-Race Show: 12:00pm/et with John Roberts, Kyle Petty, Kenny Wallace
Scheduled Race Re-Air Dates/Times:
Monday, November 14 at 1:00am/et on ESPN2;
Wednesday, November 16 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED
TV Listings, Links and Info:
Jayski's TV Listings Page
NASCAR on TV
Race Fan TV
This Week - Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite Radio
Times are local to the Track
Friday, November 11
11:30 am - 1:30 pm NSCS Practice
3:30 - 5:30 pm NSCS Final Practice
Saturday, November 12
11:40 am NSCS Qualifying
Sunday, November 13
1:00 pm NSCS Race
NSCS = Sprint Cup Series
SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Times are local to the Track
Practices:
Friday, November 11, 1:30 - 3:30 pm/et, TV-ESPN2
Happy Hour 'Final' practice: Friday, November 11, 5:30 - 7:30pm/et, TV-ESPN2
Qualifying: 2 laps for positions 1-42, Saturday, November 12 at 1:40 pm/et, TV-SPEED, re-air scheduled for 8:30pm/et.
2011: $4,957,233
2010: $4,998,285
2009: $5,136,375
2008: $5,096,896
2007: $4,998,497
2006: $4,952,924
2005: $4,870,213
2004: $4,844,100
2003: $4,436,424
2002: $3,881,518
Track Specs:
Track/Race Length: 1.0 mile oval, 312 laps, 312 miles/500km
Pit Road Speed: 45mph
Degree of Banking: Turns 1-2: 11 degrees; Turns 3-4: 9 degrees
Frontstretch: Length: 1,179 feet, Banking: 3 degrees
Backstretch: Length: 1,551 feet, Banking: 9 degrees
Pit Road: Length: 1,140
Grandstand seating: 76,812
Opened: 1964 (first NASCAR Sprint Cup event was 1988)
Race Festivities/Officials:
Grand Marshal: Race car driver Adrian Fernandez
Command to start engines: Adrian Fernandez
Honorary Starter/Wave Green Flag: ?
Invocation: ?
National Anthem: Catchpenny
Military Flyover: four F-16s, 62nd Fighter Squadron, Luke AFB
Track Websites:
Phoenix International Raceway
ISC Motorsports
Phoenix International Raceway - Facebook
Phoenix International Raceway - Twitter
February 2011: see my Phoenix Race Info page
November 2010: see my Phoenix Race Info page
2011 February Pole Sitter: #99-Carl Edwards, 137.279mph [track record], finished 28th
2010 November Pole Sitter: #99-Carl Edwards, 136.389mph, finished 1st
Track Qualifying Record: Carl Edwards, 2/26/2011, 137.279mph
Oldest Pole Winner: Mark Martin, 50 years, 3 months, 9 days, 4/18/2009
Youngest Pole Winner: Kyle Busch, 20 years, 11 months, 20 days, 4/22/2006
2011 February Race Winner: #24-Jeff Gordon, 102.961mph, started 20th
2010 November Winner: #99-Carl Edwards, 110.758mph, finished 1st
Race Record: Tony Stewart, Nov 1999, 118.132mph
Slowest Race Record: Al Kulwicki, 1988, 90.457mph
Oldest Race Winner: Mark Martin, 50 years, 3 months, 9 days, 4/18/2009
Youngest Race Winner: Kyle Busch, 20 years, 5 months, 11 days, 11/13/2005
Milestone Watch at Phoenix: Hendrick Motorsports will attempt to post its 200th series win, Penske Racing's Kurt Busch will attempt to post his 25th series win, Chase contender Ryan Newman will attempt to post his 50th series Coors Light pole (he leads all drivers with four poles at PIR), five-time champion Jimmie Johnson will attempt to post his 225th top-10 finish, Juan Pablo Montoya will attempt to post his 50th top-10 finish and Marcos Ambrose will attempt to post his 25th top-10 finish.(NASCAR)(11-10-2011)
The Numbers for the Kobalt Tools 500k at Phoenix:
1 fewest lead changes (11/4/90)
2 fewest leaders (11/4/90)
2 fewest caution (11/7/99)
3 fewest cars on lead lap at finish (10/30/94)
4 number of wins from the pole (most recent, Carl Edwards 11/14/11)
4 fewest laps led by race winner (Ryan Newman, 4/10/10)
4 most wins (Jimmie Johnson)
5 number of jet dryers available for track drying this weekend at PIR
9 number of cautions during spring race at PIR
10 fewest caution laps (11/7/99)
10 of 12 drivers in the Chase have won at PIR (Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick have yet to win at the one-mile track)
13 most leaders (four times, most recent 4/10/10)
41 most cars running at finish (three times, most recent 4/21/07)
66 most caution laps (11/2/03)
90 minutes amount of time it takes to dry the track after a significant rainfall.
262 most laps led by race winner (Dale Earnhardt, 11/4/90)
2011 Caution Update
3 fewest cautions this season (New Hampshire, 9/25/11)
7 number of races extended beyond scheduled distance in 2011
18 most cautions this season (Martinsville, 10/30/11)
262 number of cautions in the first 34 races of 2011; includes 132 for accidents, 59 for debris and 33 for spins
250 number of cautions in the first 34 races in 2010; includes 133 for accidents, 46 for debris and 34 for spins
1,274 of 9,971 number of laps under caution in 2011
1,702.507 of 13,524.238 miles under caution in the first 34 races
(Darnell Communications for Dodge Motorsports)(11-10-2011)
At Phoenix International Raceway:
• Construction was completed in January 1964. The facility consisted of a one-mile oval and a 2.5-mile road course.
• Alan Kulwicki won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix on Nov. 6, 1988.
• The first spring race was held on April 23, 2005 and also the first night race, which was won by Kurt Busch.
• The track underwent its first repave this year. The construction began in March and concluded in September of 2011.
• The following changes were made during the construction period:
• Widened the frontstretch from 52 to 62 feet
• Reconfigured pit road with the installation of concrete pit stalls
• Pushed the dog-leg curve between Turn 2 and Turn 3 out 95 feet
• Tightened the turn radius of the dog-leg from 800 to 500 feet
• Implemented variable banking to ensure the immediate use of two racing grooves, including 10-11 degree banking between Turn 1 and Turn 2; 10-11 degree banking in the apex of the dog-leg; and 8-9 degree banking in Turn 4.
• There have been 30 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races at Phoenix International Raceway, one per season from 1988-2004 and two each season since.
• Geoffrey Bodine won the first Coors Light Pole in 1988.
• There have been 18 different pole winners, led by Ryan Newman with four. Newman's next pole will be his 50th.
• Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Carl Edwards are the only drivers to win consecutive poles. Newman won three straight (2002-04), while Gordon won the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007, and Edwards won the fall of 2010 and spring of 2011.
• There have been 21 different race winners, led by Jimmie Johnson with four.
• The race has been won from the pole four times: Jeff Gordon (spring 2007), Jimmie Johnson (fall 2008), Mark Martin (spring 2009) and Carl Edwards (fall 2010).
• The race has been won from a top-10 starting position in 15 of 30 events.
• Denny Hamlin won his first career pole at Phoenix in November 2005. AJ Allmendinger won his first career pole in April 2010.
• Ricky Rudd won the 1995 race from the 29th-place starting position, the furthest back a race winner has started.
• Mark Martin has 12 top-five finishes, more than any other driver. Martin (8.8 average finish) is one of three active drivers who average a top-10 finish. Jimmie Johnson (4.8) and Jeff Gordon (10.0) are the others.
• Two perfect Driver Ratings of 150.0 have been recorded at Phoenix. Kurt Busch did it with his win in April of 2005, and Kevin Harvick did it in November of 2006.(NASCAR)(11-8-2011)
For news, stats, records and more about this race track, see: Jayski's Phoenix International Raceway Track News/Rumors/Links page
Kahne wins at Phoenix: #4-Kasey Kahne won the Kolbat Tooks 500k Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway for his 12th career win, 1st of the season and first in 81 races, since Atlanta in Sept. 2009. It is Kahne's first win in a Toyota after 11 wins in a Dodge. Kahne becomes the 18th different race winner in 2011, one behind the record of 19. It is the first win for a car #4 since Bobby Hamliton won in the #4 Chevy at Martinsville on April 20, 1998.
#99-Edwards finished 2nd followed by #14-Stewart, #31-Burton, #39-Newman, #43-Allmendinger, #00-Reutimann, #9-AMbrose, #27-Menard and #33-Bowyer.
#99-Edwards still leads the Chase by 3 points over #14-Stewart with one race to go, all other drivers are out of Chase contention.
There were 14 lead changes among 7 drivers and 8 cautions for 30 yellow flag laps. The attendance is listed as 85,000, up from 75,000 last year.
Scheduled Race Re-Airs: Monday, November 14 at 1:00am/et on ESPN2; Wednesday, November 16 at 12:00pm/et on SPEED
Race Fast Facts - Phoenix:
#4-Kasey Kahne won the 24th Annual Kobalt Tools 500, his 12th victory in 287 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Last win was Sept. 6, 2009 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This breaks an 81-race winless streak.
This is his first victory and 14th top-10 finish in 2011.
This is his first victory and fifth top-10 finish in 15 races at Phoenix International Raceway.
#99-Carl Edwards (second) posted his 10th top-10 finish in 15 races at Phoenix International Raceway. It is his 25th top-10 finish in 2011.
#14-Tony Stewart (third) posted his 11th top-10 finish in 20 races at Phoenix International Raceway.
#99-Carl Edwards leads the point standings by 3 points over #14-Tony Stewart. All other Chase qualifiers have been eliminated from championship contention.(NASCAR Statistics)(11-13-2011)
Finishing spots for the Chase drivers at Phoenix: (by standings order before the race)
1) #99-Carl Edwards, starts 9th, finished 2nd
2) #14-Tony Stewart, 8th, 3rd
3) #29-Kevin Harvick, 27th, 19th
4) #17-Matt Kenseth, 1st on the pole, 34th
5) #2-Brad Keselowski, 12th, 18th
6) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 16th, 14th
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 22nd, 24th
8) #24-Jeff Gordon, 23rd, 32nd
9) #22-Kurt Busch, 17th, 22nd
10) #11-Denny Hamlin, 33rd, 12th
11) #18-Kyle Busch, 34th, 36th
12) #39-Ryan Newman, 30th, 5th
(11-13-2011)
2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Chase Points Standings:
[after Phoenix, race 35 of 36 and Chase race 9 of 10]
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 2359
2) #14-Tony Stewart [4 wins], 2356, -3
These drivers below are officially eliminated from the Csase:
3) #29-Kevin Harvick [4 wins], 2308, -51
4) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 2294, -65
5) #48-Jimmie Johnson [2 wins], 2291, -68
6) #17-Matt Kenseth [3 wins], 2289, -70
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [0 wins], 2257, -102
8) #22-Kurt Busch [2 wins], 2252, -107
9) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 2252, -107
10) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win], 2249, -110
top 10 go to the banquet in Vegas
11) #24-Jeff Gordon [3 wins], 2247, -112
12) #18-Kyle Busch [4 wins], 2224, -135
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(11-13-2011)
Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Homestead:
#38 remains in 35th over the #71 team, but with the #71 missing the race, the #38 now leads by 28 pts.
34) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 484, +41
35) #38-Kvapil/Front Row, 471, 28 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #71-Lally/TRG, 443, 28 points out of top 35
37) #7-Gordon/RGM, 334, -137
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(11-13-2011)
Phoenix Notes-n-Nuggets:
" Kasey Kahne scores his 12th career win in his 287th race.
" Kahne scroes his first career win at Phoenix, becomes the 22nd different driver to win at PIR.
" Kahne scores his first win of 2011, becomes the 18th different driver to win in 2011.
" Kahne's win ended an 81 race winless streak; his last win was at Atlanta in Sept. 2009.
" Sunday marks the fourth consecutive race at Phoenix where a driver ended a winless streak of 66 races or more.
" Carl Edwards' (second) average finish in the Chase is 5.2.
" Tony Stewart (third) scores his eighth top-five finish in 2011, including his fifth of the Chase; he led the most laps for the third time in the past four races.
" Jeff Burton (fourth) has four top-10 finishes in 2011 including three in the past four races.
" Ryan Newman (fifth) scores his best finish of the 2011 Chase and his first top-five finish since Michigan in August.
" A.J. Allmendinger (sixth) now has top-11 finishes in five of the past seven races.
" David Reutimann (seventh) scores his third top-10 finish of 2011.
" Marcos Ambrose (eighth) has top-11 finishes in five of the past seven races.
" Paul Menard (ninth) scores his second top-10 finish since his win at Indianapolis.
(Racing Recall/nascar.com)(11-13-2011)
Lucky Dogs - Who got a lap back on each caution at Phoenix: (and their finish)
Caution 1: no driver a lap down
Caution 2: #6-Ragan, 33rd
Caution 3: #66-McDowell, 40th
Caution 4: #35-Blaney, 27th
Caution 5: #13-Mears, 26th
Caution 6: #27-Menard, 9th
Caution 7: #48-Johnson, 14th
Caution 8: #33-Bowyer, 10th
(11-13-2011)
Penalty Report / Infraction Sheet - Phoenix:
Car#, Lap, Infraction, Flag, Penalty, Lap Assessed
#18, Pre-Race to the rear, W, tail end, engine change
#78, 2, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, garage
#6, 2, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end
#6, 42, Too many crewmember(s) in contact with pit service area, Y, tail end, 45
#6, 42, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end
#36, 92, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end 97
#78, 125, Going above the blend line exiting the pits, G pass thru 127
#36, 158, Pitting before pit road is open Y, tail end, garage
#1, 160, Speed-Entering pits, Y, tail end, 163
#84, 168, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 172
#17, 177, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, garage
#24, 178, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, 181
#7, 221, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end, garage
#24, 221, Pitting before pit road is open, Y, tail end
#22, 279, Speed-Entering pits, G, pass thru 282
#83, 280, Speed-Entering pits, G, pass thru 283
#13, 285, Speed-Entering pits, G, pass thru 289
(NASCAR Statistics)(11-13-2011)
Pit Road Times
Phoenix International Raceway
Kobalt Tools 500
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
Sun, November 13, 2011 @ 06:39 PM Eastern
Car# | Pit Stops | Driver | Laps | Time | Total Seconds | Avg Seconds |
14 | 5 | Tony Stewart | 312 | 03:29.5 | 209.542 | 41.908 |
99 | 5 | Carl Edwards | 312 | 03:29.8 | 209.808 | 41.962 |
11 | 5 | Denny Hamlin | 312 | 03:32.8 | 212.825 | 42.565 |
20 | 5 | Joey Logano | 312 | 03:33.8 | 213.781 | 42.756 |
00 | 5 | David Reutimann | 312 | 03:33.8 | 213.792 | 42.758 |
9 | 5 | Marcos Ambrose | 312 | 03:34.5 | 214.532 | 42.906 |
4 | 5 | Kasey Kahne | 312 | 03:36.9 | 216.876 | 43.375 |
43 | 5 | A J Allmendinger | 312 | 03:37.1 | 217.075 | 43.415 |
39 | 5 | Ryan Newman | 312 | 03:43.0 | 222.988 | 44.598 |
31 | 6 | Jeff Burton | 312 | 04:23.7 | 263.704 | 43.951 |
33 | 6 | Clint Bowyer | 312 | 05:00.7 | 300.672 | 50.112 |
27 | 8 | Paul Menard | 312 | 05:21.7 | 321.712 | 40.214 |
2 | 5 | Brad Keselowski | 311 | 03:31.9 | 211.93 | 42.386 |
5 | 5 | Mark Martin | 311 | 03:35.2 | 215.217 | 43.043 |
16 | 5 | Greg Biffle | 311 | 03:39.9 | 219.855 | 43.971 |
47 | 5 | Bobby Labonte | 311 | 03:55.1 | 235.126 | 47.025 |
22 | 6 | Kurt Busch | 311 | 04:17.8 | 257.793 | 42.966 |
1 | 6 | Jamie McMurray | 311 | 04:24.3 | 264.315 | 44.053 |
29 | 6 | Kevin Harvick | 311 | 04:24.5 | 264.501 | 44.084 |
56 | 6 | Martin Truex Jr. | 311 | 04:25.1 | 265.149 | 44.192 |
42 | 6 | Juan Pablo Montoya | 311 | 04:26.5 | 266.462 | 44.41 |
48 | 7 | Jimmie Johnson | 311 | 05:19.1 | 319.116 | 45.588 |
83 | 7 | Brian Vickers | 311 | 06:18.4 | 378.404 | 54.058 |
88 | 6 | Dale Earnhardt Jr. | 310 | 04:47.5 | 287.468 | 47.911 |
84 | 6 | Cole Whitt(i) | 310 | 04:52.0 | 292.017 | 48.67 |
35 | 6 | Dave Blaney | 309 | 05:03.4 | 303.386 | 50.564 |
51 | 7 | Landon Cassill(i) | 309 | 05:23.2 | 323.233 | 46.176 |
38 | 7 | J J Yeley | 309 | 05:38.9 | 338.925 | 48.418 |
13 | 7 | Casey Mears | 309 | 05:42.8 | 342.832 | 48.976 |
32 | 7 | Mike Bliss(i) | 308 | 05:23.7 | 323.688 | 46.241 |
34 | 7 | David Gilliland | 307 | 06:43.4 | 403.353 | 57.622 |
24 | 8* | Jeff Gordon | 306 | 07:35.2 | 455.21 | 56.901 |
6 | 11* | David Ragan | 298 | 14:42.0 | 882.027 | 80.184 |
17 | 5* | Matt Kenseth | 238 | 05:02.3 | 302.324 | 60.465 |
7 | 5 | Robby Gordon | 218 | 04:32.0 | 271.988 | 54.398 |
18 | 3 | Kyle Busch | 188 | 02:06.6 | 126.629 | 42.21 |
36 | 4 | Geoffrey Bodine | 153 | 03:25.0 | 205.014 | 51.254 |
78 | 3* | Regan Smith | 62 | 08:54.0 | 4,134.02 | 1,378.01 |
46 | 1 | Scott Speed(i) | 60 | 00:53.7 | 53.669 | 53.669 |
66 | 1 | Michael McDowell | 46 | 00:30.3 | 30.348 | 30.348 |
37 | 1 | Mike Skinner(i) | 25 | 01:12.1 | 72.142 | 72.142 |
Race Coverage of the Kobalt Tools 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway is scheduled for Sunday, November 13, 2011.
Television (TV): ESPN at 3:00 pm/et; NSCS Countdown pre-race show at 2:00 pm/et; green flag approx 3:15pm/et
Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius XM Satellite NASCAR Radio 90
Scheduled Race Re-Airs:
ESPN2, Monday, November 14 at 1:00am/et;
SPEED, Wednesday, November 16 at 12:00pm/et
Pit Stall Selections: The selections of pit stalls for the Kobalt Tools 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway have been made.
Pole sitter #17-Kenseth chose pit stall 1 [as do most pole sitters].
Outside pole sitter #43-Allmendinger took pit stall 33, the third pitstall in front of the start finish line but just before the start-finish line.
#9-Ambrose, who starts 3rd took the 16th pit stall, the first stall with an opening in front of it.
The 43rd and final pit stall was taken by #31-Burton, who starts 14th.
To see where the drivers/teams pit stall is, see the pit selection chart on the Pit Stall Selection chart.(11-12-2011)
NASCAR Green-White-Checkered Race Procedure: NASCAR allows a maximum of three restart attempts prior to the White Flag under NASCAR's Green-White-Checkered flag finish. If the leader has taken the White Flag and the caution flag is displayed, the field is frozen and the race will not be restarted. Previously, there was only one restart attempt. The procedure applies to all three national series. See rule and notes on the Green-White-Checker rule page.(2-11-2010)
Wave-around rule: The wave-around rule dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.(10-11-2009)
See Jayski's - 2011 Sprint Cup Race Results Page for pole winner, race winner with speed and starting/finishing position, links to race results, drivers & owners points, pit stall selections, qualifying results/starting lineup, practice speeds and chase stats as well as link to race track and race information page for each race
Kenseth wins Phoenix pole: #17-Matt Kesneth won the Coors Light pole for the Kobalt Tools 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway with a speed of 137.101mph. It is his 3rd pole of the season [his most ever in a season] and the 7th of his career. Kenseth has won one race from the pole. #43-Allmendinger starts 2nd followed by #9-Ambrose, #5-Martin, #56-Truex Jr., #1-McMurray, #00-Reutimann, #14-Stewart, #99-Edwards and #4-Kahne.
The go-or-go homers who made the race (8): #84-Whitt [his first career start], #35-Blaney, #7-Gordon, #46-Speed, #87-Nemechek, #66-McDowell, #37-Skinner, #55-Kvapil and #35-Blaney.
The go-or-go homers who failed to qualify for the race (3): #23-Riggs, #30-Stremme and #71-Lally
See the starting lineup, qualifying speeds and notes on my Phoenix Starting Lineup/Qualifying Results page.(11-12-2011)
Qualifying Fast Facts - Phoenix:
#17-Matt Kenseth won the Coors Light Pole Award for the 24th Annual Kobalt Tools 500 with a lap of 26.258 seconds, 137.101 mph.
This is his seventh pole in 435 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races.
This is his third pole and 14th top-10 start in 2011. Last pole at Chicagoland Speedway on Sept. 19, 2011.
This is his first pole in 19 races at Phoenix International Raceway.
#43-A J Allmendinger (second) posted his 13th top-10 start of 2011 and his third in seven races at Phoenix International Raceway.
#9-Marcos Ambrose (third) posted his second top-10 start at Phoenix International Raceway. It is his seventh in 35 races this season.
#71- Andy Lally (46th) was the fastest qualifying rookie. He failed to qualify for the race.(NASCAR Statistics)(11-12-2011)
Starting spots for the Chase drivers at Phoenix: (by standings order before the race)
1) #99-Carl Edwards, starts 9th
2) #14-Tony Stewart, 8th
3) #29-Kevin Harvick, 27th
4) #17-Matt Kenseth, 1st on the pole
5) #2-Brad Keselowski, 12th
6) #48-Jimmie Johnson, 16th
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr., 22nd
8) #24-Jeff Gordon, 23rd
9) #22-Kurt Busch, 17th
10) #11-Denny Hamlin, 33rd
11) #18-Kyle Busch, 34th
12) #39-Ryan Newman, 30th
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(11-12-2011)
Coverage of Qualifying for the Kobalt Tools 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway is scheduled for Saturday, November 12, 2011 at 1:40pm/et.
Television (TV): SPEED, 1:30pm/et
Qualifying Re-Air: 8:30pm/et on SPEED
Qualifying Order for the Kobalt Tools 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway is posted. 46 cars/drivers are listed. Go-or-go homers are now mixed in with the top-35 drivers, slowest by fastest in first practice.
The first of the drivers scheduled to go out is #36-GBodine, slowest in practice.
The final driver scheduled to go out is #31-Burton, who was fastest in first practice.
Qualifying order is set by the first practice session, with slowest driver going out by speed and the fastest going out last. The non-top 35 drivers are now mixed in with the top-35 in owners points, slowest to fastest.
See the full qualifying order on the Phoenix Qualifying Page.(11-11-2011)
Happy Hour practice for the Kobalt Tools 500k Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway is over, after 120 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest and some notes:
#27-Menard 141.121
#99-Edwards 140.724
#78-Smith 140.362
#83-Vickers 139.974
#18-Busch 139.855
[35 cars are faster then the track record]
slowest: #36-GBodine 135.349 & #38-Yeley 135.603
notes: #71-Lally smacked the turn 4 wall, the team pulled out the backup car, but didn't make any laps on the car.
#1-McMurray had a fuel system issue the team changed a few things and went back on the track.
The track record qulaying speed is 137.279mph, set by #99-Carl Edwards this past February on the old asphalt and configuration.
Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 1:40pm/et on SPEED.
See fastest speeds, average speeds, best 10 lap average, laps run on the Phoenix Practice Speeds Page.(11-11-2011)
First Friday practice for the Kobalt Tools 500k Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway is over, after 120 scheduled minutes, the top 5, slowest and some notes:
#31-Burton 140.067
#17-Kenseth 139.925
#6-Ragan 139.616
#27-Menard 139.605
#39-Newman 139.540
[24 cars were faster then the track record]
slowest: #36-GBodine 134.378 and #38-Yeley 134.590
Notes: #18-Busch had an engine go bad when he started the car. Busch got out late in practice with the new engine. This practice session will set the qualifying order, slowest going out first and fastest going out last.
The track record qulaying speed is 137.279mph, set by #99-Carl Edwards this past February on the old asphalt and configuration.
Qualifying is scheduled for Saturday at 1:40pm/et on SPEED.
See fastest speeds, average speeds, best 10 lap average, laps run on the Phoenix Practice Speeds Page.(11-11-2011)
Phoenix Practice rank for the non top-35 drivers in first practice:
if things stay the same, these eight drivers would make the race:
#55-Travis Kvapil, 20th fasetst overall
#87-Joe Nemechek, 21st
#37-Mike Skinner, 25th
#7-Robby Gordon, 27th
#30-David Stremme, 28th
#84-Cole Whitt, 30th
#66-Michael McDowell, 31st
#46-Scott Speed, 35th
these drivers would miss the race if the order stayed the same:
#35-Dave Blaney, 41st
#23-Scott Riggs, 42nd
#71-Andy Lally, 44th
Another new twist to the qualifying format: Starting at Kentucky Speedway, there will be a rain-out qualifying procedure change for all three NASCAR national series. If first practice is run, but qualifying is unable to take place, the starting lineup will be based on speeds from the car's fastest lap from the first practice, with top-35 cars in owner points no longer segregated from the non-top 35 cars. Previously, the top 35 cars lined up in front of all other eligible car owners.(NASCAR)(7-7-2011)
The Entry List for the Kobalt Tools 500(k) Sprint Cup Series race at Phoenix International Raceway is posted, 46 teams/drivers [for 43 spots] are listed, including:
Not in top 35 of owners points:
#7-Robby Gordon (38/34)
#23-Scott Riggs (0/0)
#30-David Stremme (43/21)
#35-Dave Blaney (47/11)
#37-Mike Skinner (39/34)
#46-Scott Speed (40/34)
#55-Travis Kvapil (49/16)
#66-Michael McDowell (41/34)
#71-Andy Lally (36/34)
#84-Cole Whitt (0/0)
#87-Joe Nemechek (42/34)
NOTE: two #77 cars are entered, usually, if both make the race, the one higher in owners points position get to run the number and the other team has to use another number.
In the event that qualifying is cancelled:
the eight who would make it [8]: #'s 71,7,37,46,66,87,30,55
missing the race would be [3]: #'s 35,23,84
See the full entry list at my Jayski's Phoenix Entry List.(11-7/11-2011)
2011 Sprint Cup Driver Championship Chase Points Standings:
[after Texas, race 34 of 36 and Chase race 8 of 10]
1) #99-Carl Edwards [1 win], 2316
2) #14-Tony Stewart [4 wins], 2313, -3
3) #29-Kevin Harvick [4 wins], 2283, -33
4) #17-Matt Kenseth [3 wins], 2278, -38
these drivers are more then a race out:
5) #2-Brad Keselowski [3 wins], 2267, -49
6) #48-Jimmie Johnson [2 wins], 2261, -55
7) #88-Dale Earnhardt Jr. [0 wins], 2237, -79
8) #24-Jeff Gordon [3 wins], 2235, -81
9) #22-Kurt Busch [2 wins], 2229, -87
These drivers are officially eliminated:
10) #11-Denny Hamlin [1 win], 2217, -99
top 10 go to the banquet in Vegas
11) #18-Kyle Busch [4 wins], 2216, -100
12) #39-Ryan Newman [1 win], 2213, -103
(ties broken by 1sts, 2nds, 3rd, etc)
See drivers championship points standings on Jayski's Drivers Points Standings page.(11-6-2011)
Top-35 in Owner Points and guaranteed a starting spot at Phoenix:
#38 remains in 35th over the #71 team, but their advantage drops to 11 points.
33) #36-GBodine/Tommy Baldwin, 498, +55
34) #32-Bliss/FAS Lane, 470, +27
35) #38-Yeley/Front Row, 454, 11 points ahead of 36th
these teams / drivers will need to qualify by speed:
36) #71-Lally/TRG, 443, 11 points out of top 35
The teams are NOT locked in past the next race as the owners points change after each race.
For the owner points standings, see my Owners Points Standings page.(11-6-2011)
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Chassis selections for Phoenix: see the list of many teams and what chassis were selected by the team to run at Phoenix International Raceway:
MISSING? why are some teams missing? like the #4, #11, #24 or others? those teams do not report what chassis in the race previews or prs.
#1-Jamie McMurray: Crew Chief Kevin "Bono" Manion and the #1 McDonald's team will be bringing chassis #1008 to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend. This chassis was previously used at Richmond in April and Phoenix in February.
#2-Brad Keselowski: and the #2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger team will race chassis PRS-801 during Sunday's Kobalt Tools 500 at Phoenix. This is a new chassis to the #2 fleet. The featured tag line on the rear bumper of the "Blue Deuce" this weekend in Texas will be "Cheers To Chasing Greatness." If Brad wins a race during the 2011 Chase for the Championship, two lucky fans will win their own "man cave," compliments of Miller Lite. The man cave gear includes a "kegerator," a dart board, Miller Lite neon sign, a basketball game and pub furniture.
#5-Mark Martin: crew chief Lance McGrew has chosen Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 5-695 for this Sunday's race at PIR. This is the same chassis Martin drove at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.
#6-David Ragan: is driving primary chassis RK-759 which last ran New Hampshire finished seventh. The backup chassis is RK-755 which last ran Richmond finished fourth. Through the end of the season, UPS My Choice will be featured as the primary design on David Ragan's #6 UPS Ford.
#9-Marcos Ambrose: The #9 RPM team has prepared chassis No. 653 for the 312-mile race at Phoenix. This Dewalt Ford Fusion has been previously run this season in Darlington and Bristol. It was also tested at Phoenix International Raceway on Oct. 4-5. The Australian Word of the Week: Exy = Expensive.
#14-Tony Stewart: Chassis No. 14-637 made its debut in April at Martinsville, where it experienced some teething problems, qualifying 28th and finishing 34th with a broken rear-end gear. Prior to Martinsville, Chassis No. 14-637 was tested March 14 at the half-mile Little Rock Speedway in Rockingham, N.C. The July race at New Hampshire marked the car's second career start, where it qualified second and led twice for 48 laps before finishing .773 of a second behind its sister car, piloted by Newman. It saw track time again during a Goodyear Tire Test at Phoenix Aug. 29-30 before returning to New Hampshire in September for its third career start and first of the Chase. The car carried Stewart to his second straight Chase win, leading only the final two laps after previous leader Clint Bowyer ran out of fuel just before taking the white flag in the 300-lap race. Chassis No. 14-637 returns to action and another flat, 1-mile oval with this weekend's race at Phoenix.
#16-Greg Biffle: is racing primary chassis 734 which last raced at Dover and finished 27th.
#17-Matt Kenseth: will run primary chassis RK-751 which last run at New Hampshire. This weekend at Phoenix, Kenseth will pilot the #17 Crown Royal Ford Fusion.
#22-Kurt Busch and his Steve Addington-led #22 Penske Racing "Double-Deuce" team will be racing the "PRS-748" chassis this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway. The action in the desert this weekend will mark the first time out for the car in the "Double-Deuce" Shell-Pennzoil colors. However, Penske Racing teammate Brad Keselowski drove this car dressed in the #2 Miller Lite scheme during the Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte (finished 18th), in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis (started fifth & finished ninth) and the September Dover race (started 15th & finished 20th). The "PRS-749" chassis, which Busch raced in both Richmond races this season, will serve as the backup Shell-Pennzoil Dodge Charger this weekend.
#27-Paul Menard will pilot Chassis No. 328 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This #27 Peak/Menards Chevy was a brand new addition to the RCR fleet for the 2011 season and was last seen on track at Darlington Raceway in May, where Menard started 18th and finished 22nd. This racer also saw competition at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (March) where he started 18th and finished 12th and was utilized in the October test session at PIR.
#29-Kevin Harvick: will race chassis No. 353 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. The #29 Budweiser Bowtie Chevy team has utilized this car three times so far in the 2011 season earning one win (Charlotte Motor Speedway 5/29) and finishes of seventh and 10th at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Dover International Raceway (10/2), respectively.
#31-Jeff Burton will pilot chassis No. 329 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable in this weekend's312-lap affair. Built new for 2010, this Cat Mining Chevy saw action for the first time this season at Bristol Motor Speedway in August where the 19-year veteran finished 15th after starting 21st. Burton also drove this black and yellow machine during the fall race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway earning a 13th-place result.
#33-Clint Bowyer: will pilot chassis No. 365 from the Richard Childress Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series stable. This Cheerios/Hamburger Helper Chevy, built new for 2011, has seen action twice this season. The first time was at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in July when Bowyer brought home a 17th-place finish after starting 12th and most recently he ran this chassis at Richmond International Raceway in September, finishing 22nd after starting fifth.
#35-Dave Blaney: will pilot the No. 910 chassis this weekend. TBR last ran this chassis at Dover in September. Blaney also drove the chassis at Auto Club Speedway, Texas, Darlington, Pocono and Dover. He wheeled the chassis to a chassis-high 24th-place finish at Darlington in May.
#36-Geoff Bodine will pilot the No. 27 chassis this weekend at Talladega. He most recently piloted the chassis at Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400, as well as the Daytona 500. Most notably, he drove the chassis at Talladega Superspeedway in April where he led 21 laps before a late-race spin spoiled a solid run.
#42-Juan Pablo Montoya: crew chief Jim Pohlman and the #42 Target team are bringing chassis # 1109 to Phoenix this weekend. This chassis was previously run at Richmond (April and September) and Phoenix in February.
#43-A.J. Allmendinger: The #43 Richard Petty Motorsports team has prepared chassis No. 736 for this weekend's event at Phoenix International Raceway. This WIX Filters Ford has been run previously this season at Richmond, Kansas and Loudon. It was also tested at Phoenix International Raceway on Oct. 4-5.
#48-Jimmie Johnson: last drove primary chassis No. 689 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September. Johnson has driven backup chassis No. 590 six times, most recently at Richmond International Raceway in September.
#88-Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Crew chief Steve Letarte and the #88 crew will unload Hendrick Motorsports Chassis No. 88-694. The team tested this chassis during the open session at the newly repaved Phoenix in October. Prior to that, Earnhardt raced this car to a 17th-place finish at New Hampshire in September.
#99-Carl Edwards the #99 Subway team will unload RK-782 at Phoenix. This car was new at New Hampshire where Edwards finished eighth with it.
(from team PR's/sites if reported)(11-10-2011)
Tire: Goodyear Eagle Speedway Radials:
Number of Tires:
Sprint Cup: Left-side -- 1,225, Right-side -- 1,225;
Nationwide: Left-side -- 525, Right-side -- 525
Set limits:
Sprint Cup: 5 sets for practice/qualifying, 10 sets for race;
Nationwide: 6 sets for Friday/Saturday (up to 3 sets for Thursday practice only)
Tire Codes: Left-side -- D-4472; Right-side -- D-4520
Tire Circumference: Left-side -- 87.3 in.; Right-side -- 88.4 in.
Technical Inspection Inflation:
Left Front -- 26 psi; Left Rear -- 26 psi;
Right Front -- 36 psi; Right Rear -- 36 psi
Minimum Recommended Inflation:
Left Front -- 14 psi; Left Rear -- 14 psi;
Right Front -- 34 psi; Right Rear -- 32 psi
Estimated Pit Window: Every 72-76 laps, based on fuel mileage (Sprint Cup).
Notes: Teams in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series will run the same Goodyear tire codes at Phoenix this weekend . . . due to the track's repave and reconfiguration since the last NASCAR race weekend at Phoenix in February, this a brand new tire set-up for these teams at this track . . . this combination of left- and right-side tires came out of a Goodyear tire test at Phoenix on August 29-30 . . . teams/drivers participating in that test were the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet with Tony Stewart, No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota with Kyle Busch, No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge with Kurt Busch, No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet with Jimmie Johnson and No. 99 Roush-Fenway Racing Ford with Carl Edwards . . . this tire set-up was confirmed at NASCAR's open test at Phoenix last month . . . this left-side tire code (D-4472) is the one Sprint Cup teams ran at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July . . . this right-side code (D-4520) is based on the Indianapolis right-side -- it features the same compound and construction, but has less gage (tread thickness) to help dissipate heat . . . as on most NASCAR ovals one mile or less in length, teams will not run inner liners in their tires at Phoenix.
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