44 Car Stolen Outside Hotel

Travis Kvapil's car for this weekend's Sprint Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway has apparently been stolen. A spokeswoman for Team Xtreme confirmed a Missouri TV station's report that the #44 car and its hauler disappeared from outside the team's hotel [Drury Inn & Suites] in Morrow, Ga. overnight. KFVS reported the trailer was white and unmarked and said the hauler driver reported it missing. Team Xtreme, owned by John Cohen, qualified for the Daytona 500 last week and finished 32nd with driver Reed Sorenson. But Kvapil is in the car this week with Sorenson driving for another [#29 RAB Racing] team. NASCAR teams tested at Atlanta on Thursday, meaning all the other cars are already secured inside the track (USA Today)

2015 Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 at Atlanta Weekend Schedule

Thursday, February 26
1:00 PM - 2:25 PM NSCS Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 OPEN TEST (NO TV)
3:00 PM - 4:55 PM NSCS Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 OPEN TEST (NO TV)

Friday, February 27
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM, NXS Hisense 250 Practice, FS1
11:00 AM - 11:30 AM, NASCAR Race Hub, FS1
11:30 AM - 1:00 PM, NXS Hisense 250 Final Practice, FS1
1:00 PM - 2:30 PM, NSCS Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Practice, FS1
2:30 PM - 5:30 PM, NCWTS Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 Final Practice, FS1
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM, NSCS Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Qualifying, FS1

Saturday, February 28
9:00 AM - 10:30 AM, NXS Hisense 250 Qualifying, FS1
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM, NCWTS Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 Qualifying, FS1
12:00 PM - 1:30 PM, NSCS Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Final Practice, FS1
1:30 PM - 2:00 PM, NXS RaceDay, FS1
2:00 PM - 5:00 PM, NXS Hisense 250 Race, FS1
5:00 PM - 5:30 PM, NCWTS SetUp, FS1
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM, NCWTS Hyundai Construction Equipment 200 Race, FS1

Sunday, March 1
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, NASCAR RaceDay, FS1
12:30 PM - 5:00 PM , NSCS Folds of Honor QuikTrip 500 Race, FOX
6:00 PM - 6:30 PM, NASCAR Victory Lane, FS1

ISC to review safety at all facilities

"Beginning with our two superspeedway motorsports entertainment facilities, Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway, ISC is developing a significant plan for the installation of additional impact-absorbing technologies including but not limited to SAFER barriers (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction). We will utilize all available tools to ensure the safety of the drivers and our fans. It will remain our top priority. A thorough review of our other ISC facilities will continue with the focus to prioritize each track's most critical areas first. This includes but is not limited to our upcoming races at Phoenix International Raceway and Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California. ISC is working very closely with NASCAR and industry experts to identify areas for additional safety protections. As we finalize our plans, we will communicate them to the drivers and necessary stakeholders ahead of our races at each ISC facility."(ISC)

Logano caps spectacular race with Daytona 500 victory

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla.—The record will reflect that Joey Logano won Sunday’s 57th Daytona 500 under caution, when a multicar wreck on the backstretch forced NASCAR to wave the yellow flag as Logano led the field into the final corner on the second lap of a green-white-checkered-flag finish.

But the notation of that final caution does no justice to the memory of a race that produced some of the most scintillating restrictor-plate racing in the history of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

From a restart on Lap 182 of a scheduled 200, fans standing—not sitting—in a packed front grandstand were treated to 16 straight laps of close-quarters, three-wide racing that saw the lead change from one lap to the next, as one line or another would inch ahead. Indeed, NASCAR's loop data statistics said Sunday's race set a Daytona record for green flag passes (12,677 in all).

The final two-lap sprint, on the other hand, was no contest. Logano picked the outside lane for the restart on Lap 202 and surged ahead of second-place Jimmie Johnson when the bottom lane didn’t move as quickly as expected.

Kevin Harvick was second when NASCAR threw the final caution and froze the field. Defending race winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. charged from eighth to third before the yellow. Denny Hamlin ran fourth, followed by Johnson and Casey Mears.

But it was Logano who earned the trip Victory Lane, continuing unabated from a breakout 2014 season that saw him win five times in the Sprint Cup Series and qualify for the final round of the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup before finishing fourth in the final standings.

If Logano streaked away on the final restart, it was Clint Bowyer who helped move him into position to win the race during the 16-lap green-flag run that preceded the sixth caution on Lap 198.

Logano could barely contain himself when recalling the action of the closing laps. With a shove from Bowyer, Logano took the lead from Jimmie Johnson on Lap 191 and held it until NASCAR called the caution for Justin Allgaier’s spin seven laps later.

"I keep looking at this trophy, and it’s amazing," Logano said after climbing from his No. 22 Team Penske Ford. "What a beauty. ... Now I lost my train of thought. I’m sorry. I’m so distracted right now.

"We got the push that got us out front and that was just Clint pushing hard. He wasn’t lifting before he got to my bumper, he was slamming into the back bumper and that is what we needed to get this Ford out front and here in Victory Lane."

Logano’s ninth win in the Cup series in all likelihood will mean a return trip to the Chase. It’s also the second victory for team owner Roger Penske in the Great American Race, the first coming in the 50th edition of the event in 2008, with driver Ryan Newman.

Logano’s victory also extended a remarkable four-race streak for Ford, which won the Rolex 24 Hours in January and swept the NASCAR weekend with triumphs in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday (Tyler Reddick) and NASCAR XFINITY Series on Saturday (Ryan Reed).

Earnhardt felt he had the strongest car in the field, but a mistake on the Lap 182 restart shuffled him from third all the way out of the top 15. For the balance of the race, the driver of the No. 88 Chevrolet fought his way back toward the front but wasn’t in position to make a play for the win at the end.

Earnhardt had planned to tuck in behind Johnson, his teammate, after the restart, but didn’t have room to make the move.

"Jimmie was on the quarter panel ... he was in a great spot on the guy in front of me," Earnhardt said. "And I thought if I could get in behind him, he was going to shoot past to the lead, I could tuck on the quarter panel a little bit as soon as I got on that right rear quarter panel.

"I didn't think they were that close on the outside line. I thought we had a couple car-lengths on the outside line, but they were right there. Just one of them moves. You make some good ones, you make some bad ones. I made a bad one too late."

Harvick, the defending series champion, was philosophical about the runner-up finish.

"Yeah, definitely, for us it was a good, solid day to start the season," Harvick said. "Obviously, you want to try to win the race. But sometimes you're just happy to keep rolling and going out of here and head to Atlanta (next Sunday) with a solid day.

"I thought we were going to have at least a chance, back up to the 88 there, come up to the 22 coming off of Turn 4. But in the end, that didn't all pan out with the caution. Still, a good weekend for us."

Polesitter Jeff Gordon, racing in the Daytona 500 for the last time, was a victim of the wreck that brought out the final caution. Gordon dominated early, leading a race-high 87 laps, but the late wreck dropped him to 33rd at the finish.

"This was an amazing week and an amazing day," Gordon said. "I’m just in a different place that is so foreign to me, but so incredible--to just be taking it all in and enjoying every moment.

"Yeah, right now I’m a little bit sad this is my final Daytona 500, but I’m more upset we didn’t have a shot at winning there at the end."(NASCAR Media)

Kurt Busch suspended by NASCAR

Kurt Busch has been suspended indefinitely, according to ESPN's Marty Smith and multiple reports. Earlier Friday it was ruled that Busch smashed his ex-girlfriend Patricia Driscoll's head against his motor home wall Sept. 26 at Dover International Speedway, according to the conclusions of a Kent County (Del.) family court commissioner who granted Driscoll's request for a protective order Monday. Busch was scheduled to race Sunday at Daytona International Speedway, where he was slated to start 24th in the Daytona 500, the sport's biggest event.(ESPN)

Daytona 500 Starting Lineup

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Daytona 500 Starting Lineup
Daytona International Speedway
Provided by NASCAR Statistics
REVISED

Starting Position	Car#	Driver	Sponsor / Manu	Qualifying Speed	Reason for making Daytona 500
1	24	Jeff Gordon (PC7)	Drive to End Hunger Chevy	201.293	Pole
2	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevy	201.135	Outside Pole
3	88	Dale Earnhardt Jr.	Nationwide Chevy	0.000	Finished 1st in Duel 1
4	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Crispy Toyota	201.216	Finished 2nd in Duel 2
5	22	Joey Logano	Shell Pennzoil Ford	198.812	Finished 3rd in Duel 1
6	19	Carl Edwards	Arris Toyota	202.315	Finished 3rd in Duel 2
7	14	Tony Stewart (PC4)	Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevy	197.698	Finished 4th in Duel 1
8	16	Greg Biffle	Ortho Ford	199.075	Finished 4th in Duel 2
9	15	Clint Bowyer	5-hour Energy Toyota	194.995	Finished 5th in Duel 1
10	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevy	199.738	Finished 5th in Duel 2
11	4	Kevin Harvick (PC1)	Budweiser/Jimmy John's Chevy	197.994	Finished 6th in Duel 1
12	21	Ryan Blaney(i)	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford	199.084	Finished 6th in Duel 2
13	5	Kasey Kahne	Farmers Insurance Chevy	200.691	Finished 7th in Duel 1
14	44	Reed Sorenson	Golden Corral Chevy	194.978	Finished 7th in Duel 2
15	1	Jamie McMurray	Cessna/McDonald's Chevy	202.247	Finished 8th in Duel 1
16	66	Mike Wallace	Crazy Vapors/X8 Energy Gum Toyota	192.509	Finished 8th in Duel 2
17	40	Landon Cassill	CarsForSale.com Chevy	193.299	Finished 9th in Duel 1
18	51	Justin Allgaier	Brandt Chevy	196.532	Finished 9th in Duel 2
19	35	Cole Whitt	Speed Stick Ford	194.012	Finished 10th in Duel 1
20	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy Chevy	197.959	Finished 10th in Duel 2
21	27	Paul Menard	Peak/Menards Chevy	198.325	Finished 11th in Duel 1
22	31	Ryan Newman (E)	Caterpillar Chevy	198.177	Finished 11th in Duel 2
23	95	Michael McDowell	Thrivent Financial Ford	195.300	Finished 12th in Duel 1
24	41	Kurt Busch (PC5)	Haas Automation Chevy	197.976	Finished 12th in Duel 2
25	23	JJ Yeley(i)	MAXIM Fantasy App/Dr. Pepper Toyota	199.256	Finished 13th in Duel 1
26	38	David Gilliland	Love's Travel Stops Ford	195.346	Finished 13th in Duel 2
27	46	Michael Annett	Pilot/Flying J Chevy	196.554	Finished 14th in Duel 1
28	34	David Ragan	Kentucky Fried Chicken Ford	194.452	Finished 14th in Duel 2
29	42	Kyle Larson	Target Chevy	195.588	Finished 15th in Duel 1
30	3	Austin Dillon	DOW Chevy	201.108	Finished 15th in Duel 2
31	33	Ty Dillon(i)	Cheerios/Kroger Chevy	200.678	Finished 16th in Duel 1
32	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Fastenal Ford	202.334	Finished 16th in Duel 2
33-SPD	43	Aric Almirola	Smithfield Ford	202.370	1st fastest speed
34-SPD	55	Michael Waltrip	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota	201.392	5th fastest speed
35-SPD	20	Matt Kenseth (PC6)	Dollar General Toyota	200.602	10th fastest speed
36-SPD	83	Johnny Sauter(i)	Dustless Blasting Toyota	199.574	12th fastest speed
37-OP	6	Trevor Bayne (B)	AdvoCare Ford	199.031	#99 2014 owners points 8th
38-OP	9	Sam Hornish Jr.	Twisted Tea Ford	199.119	2014 owners points 23rd
39-OP	2	Brad Keselowski (PC3)	Miller Lite Ford	199.062	2014 owners points 5th
40-OP	47	AJ Allmendinger	Kroger/USO Chevy	198.212	2014 owners points 13th
41-OP	13	Casey Mears	GEICO Chevy	197.946	2014 owners points 26th
42-OP	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota	0.000	2014 owners points 3rd
43-PC	32	Bobby Labonte (PC8)	C & J Energy Services Ford	199.067	Past Champion
44-DNQ	7	Alex Bowman	Toy State/Nikko Chevy	198.229	Did not qualify
45-DNQ	62	Brian Scott(i)	Shore Lodge Chevy	197.828	Did not qualify
46-DNQ	26	Jeb Burton	LiveDeal.com Download the App Toyota	195.004	Did not qualify
47-DNQ	29	Justin Marks(i)	American Born Moonshine Toyota	194.675	Did not qualify
48-DNQ	98	Josh Wise	Phoenix Construction Ford	193.386	Did not qualify
49-DNQ	30	Ron Hornaday Jr.	Smokey Mountain Herbal Snuff Chevy	190.791	Did not qualify

Gordon has no plans to race in Sprint Cup Series in 2016

Jeff Gordon is backing away from the possibility of running more races after this year. Gordon announced last month this will be his final year as a full-time driver, but he did not use the word retirement. On Thursday, he said it's "highly unlikely" he'll race a Sprint Cup car in 2016. He says it is difficult to put together a ride for one race and be competitive enough to win. He said trying to get a one-off ride with Hendrick Motorsports would be disruptive to the organization.(Associated Press)

Charlotte Motor Speedway's jet dryers helps teams get to Daytona

With inclement weather threatening the Charlotte area and many NASCAR teams trying to reach the Daytona International Speedway (where Sprint Cup practice resumes Wednesday), Charlotte Motor Speedway pitched in to ensure smoother travel southward.The track sent three jet dryers down the road to Concord Regional Airport, helping dry the runways covered by snow and sleet over the past 18 hours. More than a dozen flights transporting 700 members of the NASCAR industry were scheduled to head to the Daytona Beach, Fla., area over the next two days.Charlotte Motor Speedway president Marcus Smith dispatched the jet dryers through his track’s operations staff after a NASCAR team called Tuesday morning with concern about the icy conditions.

After being dark Monday and Tuesday, Daytona’s Sprint Cup garage will reopen at noon Wednesday with practice beginning at 2 p.m.

Dale Earnhardt Candlelight Tribute Feb 18th

Every year since 2001, on February 18th fans around the world light a candle in respect of the legendary Dale Earnhardt. February 18, 2015 marks fourteen years that an annual candlelight tribute has been held at DEI to honor the late seven-time NASCAR Champion. Fans honor and pay special tribute to him on the grounds of Dale Earnhardt Inc. That evening the building itself will be closed and illuminated with candles, and a Guest Book will be available for signing and sharing special memories of Dale. Fans are invited to visit from 6pm until 8pm, at Dale Earnhardt Inc. on Highway 3, in Mooresville, NC. Those unable to attend are encouraged to light a candle at home that evening in remembrance of Dale Earnhardt's remarkable spirit and life, and all fans of Dale Earnhardt are asked to help "Continue the Legend" through their support of The Dale Earnhardt Foundation and of Dale's passions: Children, Education, and Environmental/Wildlife Conservation. The Showroom and Retail Store will be open during their regular hours on this day, from 11:00am -2:00pm.(DEI)

Team Xtreme's backup plan includes a backup car for the Duels

Reed Sorenson thought his opportunity to race in the Daytona 500 would be one and done entering qualifying on Sunday. After Sorenson blocked #15-Clint Bowyer - and went into the spin cycle process - it appeared the #44 Golden Corral Chevy and Team Xtreme Racing's hopes to run in the 500 were over. "We don't have a backup car as of now," Sorenson said on Sunday after the wreck. But Sorenson got a reprieve. "We had a car back at the shop we weren't going to bring it unless we needed it," Team Xtreme owner John Cohen told Motorsport.com on Tuesday. "The car will be coming down tonight." Sorenson will start 20th (but fall to the rear of the field for using a backup car) in the second Duel for Team Xtreme Racing. In July, he started second in the Daytona Cup race. His best finish on the 2.5-mile track is fifth - in the 2008 Daytona 500.(Motorsport)

Budweiser Duel #2 Starting Lineup

Starting Line Up by Row
Daytona International Speedway
Budweiser Duel #2
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Provided by NASCAR Statistics

Pos	Car#	Driver	Sponsor / Manu	Reason	Fastest Speed	Owners Points Rank
1	48	Jimmie Johnson	Lowe's Chevy	outside pole	201.135	11
2	18	Kyle Busch	M&M's Crispy Toyota	4th in qualifying	201.216	10
3	19	Carl Edwards	Arris Toyota	6th in qualifying	202.315	56
4	3	Austin Dillon	DOW Chevy	8th in qualifying	201.108	20
5	78	Martin Truex Jr.	Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevy	10th in qualifying	199.738	24
6	16	Greg Biffle	Ortho Ford	12th in qualifying	199.075	14
7	9	Sam Hornish Jr.	Twisted Tea Ford	14th in qualifying	199.119	23
8	17	Ricky Stenhouse Jr.	Fastenal Ford	16th in qualifying	202.334	27
9	21	Ryan Blaney(i)	Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford	18th in qualifying	199.084	43
10	55	Michael Waltrip	Aaron's Dream Machine Toyota	20th in qualifying	201.392	22
11	32	Bobby Labonte (PC8)	C & J Energy Services Ford	22nd in qualifying	199.067	38
12	7	Alex Bowman	Toy State/Nikko Chevy	24th in qualifying	198.229	33
13	31	Ryan Newman	Caterpillar Chevy	26th in qualifying	198.177	2
14	41	Kurt Busch (PC5)	Haas Automation Chevy	28th in qualifying	197.976	14
15	10	Danica Patrick	GoDaddy Chevy	30th in qualifying	197.959	28
16	62	Brian Scott(i)	Shore Lodge Chevy	32nd in qualifying	197.828	35
17	51	Justin Allgaier	Brandt Chevy	34th in qualifying	196.532	29
18	38	David Gilliland	Love's Travel Stops Ford	36th in qualifying	195.346	30
19	26	Jeb Burton	LiveDeal.com Download the App Toyota	38th in qualifying	195.004	31
20	44	Reed Sorenson	Golden Corral Chevy	40th in qualifying	194.978	44
21	34	David Ragan	Kentucky Fried Chicken Ford	42nd in qualifying	194.452	48
22	98	Josh Wise	Phoenix Construction Ford	44th in qualifying	193.386	37
23	66	Mike Wallace	Crazy Vapors/X8 Energy Gum Toyota	46th in qualifying	192.509	39
24	11	Denny Hamlin	FedEx Express Toyota	Time disallowed	0.000	3