Backstretch Motorsports

Last Sunday at Talladega, Jamie McMurray (No. 26 Crown Royal Ford) ended quite a few droughts.

First, he ended a personal 86-race winless drought that dated back to July 2007.

Second, he ended a Roush Fenway Racing drought that dated back to this year’s first Auto Club Speedway race, won by teammate Matt Kenseth (No. 17 DEWALT Ford). That was 30 races long. [read more...]

Jimmie Johnson has done it again, winning of the NASCAR Banking 500 Only From Bank of America. It was Johnson’s sixth win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway and put him another step closer to a fourth consecutive championship, which would be a first in NASCAR history.

Johnson extended his lead in the Chase standings to 90 points over second place teammate Mark Martin with five races remaining in the season.

Johnson drove away from the field after dicing with teammate Jeff Gordon in the closing laps of the 334-lap race. [read more...]

DOVER, Del. (Sept. 27, 2009) — Polesitter Jimmie Johnson threw down the gauntlet in Sunday’s AAA 400 at Dover International Speedway, but Mark Martin was up to the challenge.

The day was frighteningly marked early in the race with a tumbling crash by JGR rookie Joey Logano. The 19-year-old emerged unhurt from his damaged Home Depot No. 20 Camry to the relieved appreciation of the Dover crowd.

With his fifth victory at Dover and second at the track this year, Johnson affirmed that his No. 48 Chevrolet team is a serious threat to win a fourth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship. [read more...]

The stage is set, the actors are as ready as they are going to be. It is showtime.

Making the big show is goal. All these drivers think they are going to be in - but somethings gotta give, not everybody can make it.

When the “Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup” format was instituted in 2004, Richmond International Raceway inherited the annual Chase “cut-off” race, the final event before the Chase field is finalized. [read more...]

Hampton, GA) Kasey Kahne’s shoot-out style blast to Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Victory Lane in last night’s Pep Boys Auto 500 was nothing short of perfect. The Richard Petty Motorsports driver was working his No. 9 Budweiser Dodge to it’s limits in set up, favoring the short run., getting all it had on new tires and exploiting the long run theme that hampered both runner-up Kevin Harvick and third place finisher Juan Pablo Montoya.

Kahne, who figured he had a faster car on short runs, took the lead when the race was restarted with 11 laps to go and , with a helpful push from David Reutimann, simply ran away from the field, finishing a full 1.7 seconds ahead of the rest. [read more...]

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 26, 2009) – With expectations high coming into the season, merely putting three drivers in the top 12 through 12 races isn’t enough for Roush Fenway Racing.

After starting off the season with back-to-back wins by Matt Kenseth, Roush Fenway has gone winless over the last 10 races.

All that seems likely to change, as nearly the entire stable excels at Dover – a track at which Roush Fenway finished 1-2-3 the last time the series raced there. [read more...]

No. 17 driver looks forward to challenge of 600-mile event

CONCORD, N.C. (May 21, 2009) – Roush Fenway Racing’s Matt Kenseth lists
this weekend’s 600-lap marathon at Lowe’s Motor Speedway as one of his
favorite events on the circuit, and why not? Kenseth captured the first
of his 18 Sprint Cup wins in the 2000 Coca-Cola 600. After that he went
on to finish runner up in two of the next three 600-mile races, leading
137 laps in his first four 600s. [read more...]

Qualifying Fast Facts
Lowe’s Motor Speedway at Charlotte
NASCAR Sprint All-Star

Coors Light Pole Winner: Jimmie Johnson
Age: 33
Team : No. 48 - Lowe’s / Kobalt Tools Chevrolet
Owner: Jeff Gordon
Crew Chief: Chad Knaus [read more...]

DARLINGTON, S.C. (May 8, 2009) — Maybe Matt Kenseth’s luck has turned again.

On Friday afternoon, Kenseth was the surprise pole winner for Saturday’s Southern 500 Sprint Cup race at Darlington Raceway.

On Friday night, he completed the daily double with a victory in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 Nationwide Series race at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped track, after misfortune struck the dominant car of Kyle Busch in the closing circuits.

[read more...]

Darlington, S.C. (May 8, 2009) – Matt Kenseth will lead the field to
green for tomorrow night’s Southern 500 at historic Darlington (S.C)
Speedway. Kenseth won his fourth career Sprint Cup pole and his first
since 2005 in grand fashion, capturing the Darlington track record with
a time of 27.394 (179.514 mph) around the 1.366-mile egg shaped oval
known as the ‘track too tough to tame.” [read more...]