This week all of NASCAR’s top 3 racing series will be in action at Kentucky Speedway. The Camping World Truck Series will get things started on Thursday night with the UNOH 225 and the Nationwide Series will follow suit on Friday night with the John R. Elliot HERO Campaign 300. Of course both of those events will build up to an exciting Sprint Cup Series Saturday night spectacle in the Quaker State 400. As we prepare for a full week of racing, we would like to provide some Kentucky Speedway notes and fast facts for each race heading into this week’s events.
Quaker State 400
The Sprint Cup Series has raced at Kentucky just 3 times dating back to the inaugural Quaker State 400 back in 2011 which was won by Kyle Busch. The last two years both Brad Keselowski and Matt Kenseth have found victory lane at the 1.5 mile cookie cutter. The layout of Kentucky is a bit different than most 1.5 racetracks. At just 14 degrees of banking in the turns, Kentucky is flatter than all other 1.5 mile tracks. However, there is still plenty of speed in the track as Dale Earnhardt Jr proved last June when he broke the track record with a lap of 183.636mph.
Still, Kentucky Speedway is a wildcard in the world of NASCAR handicapping when it comes to the Sprint Cup Series. Not only is there not much history to review, but Kyle Busch is the only driver that has scored multiple Top 5 finishes over 3 races at Kentucky. Joe Gibbs Racing in general has been most impressive at Kentucky compared the competition. Not only have both Busch and Kenseth scored two of the 3 victories at Kentucky, but Denny Hamlin has the 5th highest average driver rating despite a DNF last year. However those results may be more skewed towards the track type rather than Joe Gibbs Racing’s actual performance. Kenseth had a monster 2013 season where he won at almost every 1.5 mile track but Busch and Hamlin are notorious front runners on flatter surfaces. If we look at tracks with similar surfaces like Chicagoland, you will notice guys like Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, and Brad Keselowski have consistently run well at both tracks. If you throw in Kevin Harvick’s 2014 campaign into consideration as one of the fastest cars on a weekly basis, there should be plenty of guys capable of challenging this Saturday night.
Fast Fact: Brad Keselowski, Jimmie Johnson, and Kyle Busch have combined to lead 74% of all laps at Kentucky Speedway in Sprint Cup competition.
Brad Keselowski, Brian Vickers, and Jamie McMurray participated in a tire test at Kentucky Speedway last month
John R. Elliot HERO Campaign 300
Unlike the Sprint Cup Series, the Nationwide Series has run fairly often at Kentucky Speedway including two races annually since 2012. The Nationwide Series has raced at Kentucky since 2001 when Kevin Harvick won the inaugural event. Joey Logano leads all drivers with 3 wins at Kentucky Speedway. Logano actually won 3 straight Nationwide Series races at Kentucky from 2008-2010. The win in 2008 made Logano the youngest winner in Nationwide Series history at just 21 days past his 18th birthday in just his 3rd career start. However, Logano will not be in action this Friday in the Nationwide Series as Brad Keselowski, the 2011 and 2013 winner, will be driving the #22 Discount Ford. Last year in the 2nd Nationwide Series race at Kentucky, a few of the Camping World Truck Series guys spoiled the show most notably with Ryan Blaney getting the biggest win of his young career. Meanwhile, Matt Crafton finished 3rd in both of last season’s Nationwide Series events at Kentucky. Normally Sprint Cup Series guys dominate Nationwide Series events but Kentucky has been fairly kind to Nationwide and Camping World Trucks Series regulars in recent years.
Fast Fact: Since 2003, 12 of the 13 race winners have come from starting spots inside the top 5. This race has been won from the pole 6 times in the last 11 Nationwide Series starts.
UNOH 225
Without much surprise, Kyle Busch leads all driver averages in the Truck Series at Kentucky Speedway. Rowdy, has posted a 4.3 average finishing position through his 4 starts which includes 1 victory. Truck Series regular James Buescher swept both races in 2012 and has finished inside the top 4 in each of his last 4 starts at Kentucky. For Truck Series regulars Matt Crafton has been the guy to beat this season. Crafton has two wins and was in position to get a 3rd victory at Gateway before a blown right front tire ended his day. However, Crafton has not been that impressive in Truck Series competition despite a pair of 3rd place finishes in the Nationwide Series last season at Kentucky. Crafton has cracked the Top 5 just once in his last 6 starts at Kentucky Speedway.
Fast Fact: Despite two runner-up finishes at Kentucky, Brad Keselowski has never won a Camping World Truck Series race.
