NAS | Bayne using brand-new back-up for Daytona 500

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Bayne using brand-new back-up for Daytona 500

The scene in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane garage area at Daytona on Thursday was a tale of two race cars.

There was a battered No. 21 Ford Fusion, one that led more than half of the first of two Budweiser Duel qualifying races, but was later wiped out in a crash. On the other side sat a brand-new Fusion, one that had never even been rolled on asphalt before it was unloaded from the Wood Brothers’ hauler. The first car, despite the damage, did its job. It was third fastest in qualifying, assuring Trevor Bayne and the team a starting spot for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Bayne will start 33rd, one spot worse than he started in 2011 when he won the 500. The other car now is poised to pick up where the first one left off.-Wood Brothers Racing

Feb 22 - 11:45 AM

Greg Biffle at Charlotte

Greg Biffle has 20 starts in the Cup series at Charlotte, but a win has eluded him.

He has finished in the top-five five times and has eight top-10 finishes. The Car: Chassis RK-849 was brand new when it hit the track in Texas and went on to earn Biffle’s one top-five finish so far this season. The No. 16 is part of a three-car tribute with the No. 17 and No. 99 to honor military service men and women this Memorial Day weekend.-Roush Fenway Racing

May 22 - 10:28 PM

Charlotte advance notes on Carl Edwards

Carl Edwards enters the Coca-Cola 600 second in the series points’ standings and will return to Charlotte for his 17th Sprint Cup career start.

In his previous starts, Edwards has five top-five and ten top-10 finishes. His average start is 18.2 and average finish is 12.0. According to NASCAR’s Loop Statistics compiled over the last 16 races, Edwards has turned 118 of the track’s fastest laps, made 632 quality passes (sixth most) and has a driver rating seventh best among active drivers. The No. 99 Blue Team will roll out RK – 821 which ran last weekend at the All- Star race, where Edwards started from the pole.-Roush Fenway Racing

May 22 - 10:26 PM

Elliott Sadler at Charlotte Motor Speedway

Elliott Sadler has 12 Nationwide Series starts at the 1.5-mile Charlotte track, with one pole award, four top-five and five top-10 finishes, as well as 16 laps led.

The veteran driver also has NASCAR Sprint Cup Series experience at the track with 25 starts, one pole award, one top-five and three top-10 finishes, as well as 192 laps led. He made one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start in 2010, where he start fourth, finished fifth and led 31 laps.-Drivers Choice Marketing

May 22 - 10:21 PM

Kyle Busch top 10-laps in 1st NNS practice

Sprint Cup regular Kyle Busch had the best 10-lap consecutive average speed in the first practice for the Nationwide Series History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

His average of 175.485 mph in the No. 54 was best of the seven cars that ran 10 consecutive laps on the track for this session. No. 3 Austin Dillon (175.428 mph), No. 12 Sam Hornish Jr. (175.282), No. 22 Joey Logano (174.987), No. 32 Kyle Larson (174.351), No. 18 Matt Kenseth (173.990) and No. 77 Parker Kligerman (173.879) are the rest on this list.

May 22 - 10:11 PM

Joey Logano led first Nationwide practice

Sprint Cup regular Joey Logano led the first practice session for the Nationwide Series History 300 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

His lap of 178.247 mph in the No. 22 Ford Mustang was quickest of the 43 cars out on the track for this session. No. 99 Alex Bowman, No. 54 Kyle Busch, No. 18 Matt Kenseth and No. 6 Trevor Bayne were the rest of the top five on the speed chart. Matt Dibenedetto in the No. 37 was the slowest.

May 22 - 10:08 PM

Ragan stresses preparedness for Coke 600

David Ragan cites the Coca-Cola 600 right up there with the rest of NASCAR's historic races: the Daytona 500, the Brickyard 400 and the Southern 500.

Only the 600-miler is an even greater test of the endurance of both the driver and the car. "Half-way into the Coca-Cola 600, you're 300 miles in. And in a typical race you don't have much longer to go. In fact, that's about the standard distance of a Nationwide race. But in the 600, they tell you you're just half-way and you've got to do 300 miles all over again. So, it is a long night."-Breaking Limits

May 21 - 9:43 PM

Josh Wise preps for his first 600-Miler

Josh Wise will run his first Coca-Cola 600 this Memorial Day weekend and has been preparing both physically and mentally.

Wise is a triathlete, with both Half Iron Man and Full Iron Man competitions on his schedule this year. He says his physical conditioning has him ready to run the extra mileage in Sunday night's Cup race. He's preparing mentally with racing simulators, video and a little help from his teammates.-Breaking Limits

May 21 - 9:39 PM

Coca-Cola 600 is one of Gilliland's favorites

The annual Coca-Cola 600 is one of David Gilliland's favorite races; it's also among the most challenging.

Gilliland has 13 career starts at the 1.5-mile oval. His best finish came last fall when he finished 23rd at the October Sprint Cup event. He says adjustability is the key to making it through Sunday night's 600-mile event - being ready to adapt the car to the changing conditions over the course of the night. Gilliland also points to the importance of not losing focus and making mistakes during the extra 100 miles of the marathon race.-Breaking Limits

May 21 - 9:36 PM

Timmy Hill prepares for season's longest race

Timmy Hill, the 2011 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year, has five previous NASCAR starts at Charlotte Motor Speedway as well as a start last weekend in the Sprint Showdown.

Said Hill: "Charlotte is one of the few tracks that I have already had Sprint Cup experience at along with it being my favorite 1.5-mile track. My debut with FAS Lane Racing came in the fall race at Charlotte last year. This will be my first 600 mile race so patience and focus will be keys for me throughout the night."-Integrity Sports Marketing

May 21 - 9:30 PM

Notes of interest at Charlotte on Kyle Busch

The Coca-Cola 600 will mark Kyle Busch’s 19th points-paying Sprint Cup start at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

He has eight top-fives, 11 top-10s, and has led a total of 793 laps in the 18 Cup starts at Charlotte. His average Charlotte finish is 15.3. Busch will look to add to his impressive list of "doubles" this weekend at Charlotte as he has captured both the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races on the same weekend eight times – twice this season. Both of Busch’s Sprint Cup wins this season – Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. in March and Texas in April – were preceded by a Nationwide Series win the day before. Busch is competing in both series again this weekend at Charlotte.-True Speed Communication

May 21 - 9:24 PM

News & Notes on Kenny Wallace at Charlotte

Charlotte Motor Speedway will see a familiar face Saturday for the History 300, as Kenny Wallace climbs back behind the wheel of the No. 29 RAB Racing ToyotaCare Camry.

Wallace has notched seven laps led, seven top-10, and 20 top-20 finishes in a span of 22 years racing at Charlotte. He will pilot RAB Racing chassis No. 40 in Saturday's NNS race. This chassis last saw action at Richmond in April, when Alex Bowman piloted this Toyota Camry to a 27th-place finish.-RAB Racing

May 21 - 9:15 PM