NASCAR seeks to reshape 2-mile Auto Club Speedway into a short track, giving fans another short track on the schedule. NASCAR revealed those plans Tuesday after it was first reported by The Athletic.
“We are still very early in the process, but we are excited about what this ambitious project could mean for our loyal fans in Southern California,” said Craig Neeb, NASCAR executive vice president, chief innovation officer, in a statement. “This is our first step towards creating a state-of-the-art facility that would deliver the intense short-track racing our fans love, an intimate viewing experience, and upgraded suites and hospitality areas that would position Auto Club Speedway among the top entertainment venues in the market.”
The Athletic reported that NASCAR submitted site plans to San Bernardino County on Tuesday. The Athletic notes the plans call for the track to be half a mile. The track would have long straightaways similar to Martinsville Speedway. The corners would be banked similar to Bristol Motor Speedway.
The only short tracks that host Cup races are Martinsville, Bristol and Richmond Raceway, site of this week’s Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series races.
Auto Club Speedway, located in Fontana, California, has been on the Cup schedule since 1997. Jeff Gordon won the first Cup race there. Jimmie Johnson has a track-record six wins. Alex Bowman won there in March.
Austin Hill will lead the Richmond Truck starting lineup from the pole Thursday night. The race marks the first NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series race at Richmond Raceway since 2005.
Ben Rhodes, who won last weekend’s race at Darlington Raceway, joins Hill on the front row. Rookie Christian Eckes starts third and is followed by Brett Moffitt and Grant Enfinger.
Click here for starting lineup
Thursday’s race is the regular-season finale for the series.
The Richmond Truck starting lineup is set by using a formula based on four statistical categories: owner points position, owner final race position, the finish and fastest lap from the most recently completed race.
Performance Metrics Qualifying is a total number based on the previous race. The formula is 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position. Any ties will be broken by the rule book.
NASCAR Truck Series at Darlington
Race Time: 8 p.m. ET Thursday
Track: Richmond Raceway; Richmond, Virginia (.75-mile speedway)
Length: 250 laps (187.5 miles)
Stages: Stage 1 ends Lap 70. Stage 2 ends Lap 140.
TV coverage: FS1
Radio: Motor Racing Network (also SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Streaming: Fox Sports app (subscription required); mrn.com and SiriusXM for audio (subscription required)
Lineup: Click here for starting lineup
Next Xfinity race: Friday at Richmond (250 laps, 187.5 miles), 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Next Cup race: Saturday at Richmond (400 laps, 300 miles), 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
After finishing first in the NASCAR Cup Series playoff opener Sept. 6 at Darlington Raceway, Kevin Harvick will start first Saturday in the starting lineup for the middle race of the first round at Richmond Raceway.
Joey Logano will start second on the 0.75-mile oval, making it an all-Ford front row. The Chevrolets of Austin Dillon and Alex Bowman will form the second row.
Here are the starting positions for the rest of the 16 playoff drivers (in order): William Byron (fifth), Kyle Busch (sixth), Denny Hamlin (seventh), Kurt Busch (eighth), Brad Keselowski (ninth), Aric Almirola (10th), Clint Bowyer (11th), Chase Elliott (12th), Cole Custer (13th), Martin Truex Jr. (14th), Ryan Blaney (15th) and Matt DiBenedetto (16th).
STARTING LINEUP: Where everyone will start in the Federated Auto Parts 400
This will mark the third time that Harvick has led the field to the green flag in the past four races at Richmond, where NASCAR last raced Sept. 21, 2019.
Harvick also started on pole at Richmond in September 2018 and April 2019. The Stewart-Haas Racing driver has three victories at the track, most recently on April 27, 2013.
Harvick, who will be starting first in a Cup race for the fourth time this season, was awarded the Busch Pole Award using a formula based on four statistical categories: owner points position, the driver’s finish, team owner’s finish and fastest lap from the most recently completed race.
Since the playoffs began at Darlington Raceway last week, playoff cars now fill the top starting positions, according to how many remain eligible for the championship. In the Round of 16, the top 16 starting positions will be playoff cars; in the Round of 12, the top 12 starting positions will be playoff cars, etc..
NASCAR previously had used a random draw to set most of its lineups since returning in May during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, which has eliminated practice and qualifying on nearly all race weekends.
Click here for the Richmond Cup starting lineup for Saturday.
NASCAR Cup Series at Richmond
Race Time: 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday
Track: Richmond Raceway; Richmond, Virginia (0.75-mile speedway)
Length: 400 laps (300 miles)
Stages: Stage 1 ends Lap 80. Stage 2 ends Lap 235.
TV coverage: NBCSN
Radio: Motor Racing Network (also SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Streaming: NBC Sports app (subscription required); mrn.com and SiriusXM for audio (subscription required)
Next Xfinity race: Friday at Richmond (250 laps, 187.5 miles), 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Next Truck race: Thursday at Richmond (250 laps, 187.5 miles), 8 p.m. ET on FS1
Ross Chastain, who nearly won the past two races, will lead the field to green for Friday night’s Xfinity Series race at Richmond Raceway.
Brandon Jones starts second and is followed by Harrison Burton, Noah Gragson and Chase Briscoe.
Kyle Busch, making his final Xfinity start of the season, starts 29th in the 37-car field.
Click here for starting lineup
Chastain could have entered Richmond on a two-race winning streak. Chastain and Kaulig Racing teammate AJ Allmendinger made contact racing for the lead on the last lap at Daytona two weeks ago. Teammate Justin Haley won that race.
Moments after Denny Hamlin took the lead from Chastain with less than two laps left at Darlington, Hamlin hit the wall and Chastain ran into Hamlin. Jones passed both to win last weekend’s race.
Three races remain in the regular season: Friday night’s Richmond race, Saturday afternoon’s Richmond race and the Sept. 18 NASCAR race at Bristol.
The Richmond Xfinity starting lineup for Friday is set by using a formula based on four statistical categories: owner points position, owner final race position, the finish and fastest lap from the most recently completed race.
Performance Metrics Qualifying is a total number based on the previous race. The formula is 15% of a fastest lap time position, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position. Any ties will be broken by the rule book.
The starting lineup for Saturday’s race will be based off the finish of Friday night’s race.
NASCAR Xfinity Series at Richmond
Race Time: 7 p.m. ET Friday
Track: Richmond Raceway; Richmond, Virginia (.75-mile speedway)
Length: 250 laps (187.5 miles)
Stages: Stage 1 ends Lap 75. Stage 2 ends Lap 150.
TV coverage: NBCSN
Radio: Motor Racing Network (also SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)
Streaming: NBC Sports app (subscription required); mrn.com and SiriusXM for audio (subscription required)
Lineup: Click here for starting lineup
Next Cup race: Saturday at Richmond (400 laps, 300 miles), 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN
Next Truck race: Thursday at Richmond (250 laps, 187.5 miles), 8 p.m. ET on FS1
NASCAR issued its Darlington penalty report Tuesday, listing the one-race suspensions to crew chiefs Adam Stevens and Johnny Klausmeier. NASCAR also listed the penalty to Ryan Blaney’s team and fines to three crew chiefs for lug nut issues.
In Cup, NASCAR fined crew chiefs Rodney Childers (Kevin Harvick) and Chad Knaus (William Byron) for one lug nut not secure.
In Trucks, NASCAR fined Kevin Bellicourt (Derek Kraus) $2,500 for a lug nut not secured.
"auto" - Google News
September 09, 2020 at 12:45AM
https://ift.tt/2RklB7D
NASCAR seeks to reshape Auto Club Speedway into a short track - NASCAR on NBC Sports
"auto" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2Xb9Q5a
https://ift.tt/2SvsFPt
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "NASCAR seeks to reshape Auto Club Speedway into a short track - NASCAR on NBC Sports"
Post a Comment