Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet, talks with Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, during Daytona Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 14, 2012, in Daytona Beach, Fla. - Photo Credit: Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR

Recorded the second fastest with the identical lap speed of 201.545 mph, was Jeff Gordon, followed by Kurt Busch (199.464) who was third fastest, Mark Martin (199.459) fourth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. (199.406) who was fifth fastest.

Rounding out the top-ten fastest were Jimmie Johnson (199.397) who was sixth fastest, Jeff Burton (199.049) seventh, Regan Smith (199.045) eighth, Jamie McMurray (194.456) ninth and Juan Pablo Montoya (192.951) posting the tenth fastest lap speed.

The teams will return to the track for their final test/practice session this afternoon, which is scheduled to run from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (EDT).

Pos No Name                 Make Best Time Best Speed

 1   5 Kasey Kahne          Chv  44.655    201.545
 2  24 Jeff Gordon          Chv  44.655    201.545
 3  51 Kurt Busch           Chv  45.121    199.464
 4  55 Mark Martin          Tyt  45.122    199.459
 5  88 Dale Earnhardt Jr    Chv  45.134    199.406
 6  48 Jimmie Johnson       Chv  45.136    199.397
 7  31 Jeff Burton          Chv  45.215    199.049
 8  78 Regan Smith          Chv  45.216    199.045
 9   1 Jamie McMurray       Chv  46.283    194.456
10  42 Juan Pablo Montoya   Chv  46.644    192.951
11  27 Paul Menard          Chv  46.721    192.633
12  10 Danica Patrick       Chv  46.868    192.029
13  14 Tony Stewart         Chv  46.904    191.881
14  18 Kyle Busch           Tyt  46.955    191.673
15  21 Trevor Bayne         Frd  46.967    191.624
16  29 Kevin Harvick        Chv  47.010    191.449
17  22 AJ Allmendinger      Dge  47.013    191.436
18  43 Aric Almirola        Frd  47.056    191.261
19  20 Joey Logano          Tyt  47.102    191.075
20   6 Ricky Stenhouse Jr   Frd  47.176    190.775
21  16 Greg Biffle          Frd  47.188    190.726
22  11 Denny Hamlin         Tyt  47.195    190.698
23  15 Clint Bowyer         Tyt  47.217    190.609
24   9 Marcos Ambrose       Frd  47.260    190.436
25  56 Martin Truex Jr      Tyt  47.276    190.371
26  99 Carl Edwards         Frd  47.317    190.206
27  17 Matt Kenseth         Frd  47.408    189.841
28   2 Brad Keselowski      Dge  47.534    189.338
29  36 Dave Blaney          Chv  47.739    188.525
30  87 Joe Nemechek         Tyt  47.855    188.068

Kasey Kahne drives the No. 5 Farmer's Insurance Group Chevrolet during Daytona Preseason Thunder at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 12 in Daytona Beach, Fla. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

KASEY KAHNE, NO. 5 FARMERS INSURANCE CHEVROLET, met with media and discussed driving the Cup car for Hendrick, his new team and sponsors, the preseason test, and more. 

KERRY THARP:  We’re going to finish up this afternoon.  We’ve got Kasey Kahne joining us and then Carl Edwards is going to come in here in a few minutes.  Kasey is with a new race team this year.  He’s driving the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports.

            Kasey, good to see you out there in those new colors.  Talk about being here at Daytona and being with a new race team, certainly the cream of the crop.  You’ve got to put Hendrick Motorsports right up there and you’re driving the 5 car.  Talk about your excitement and enthusiasm coming here to Daytona with a new race team.

Audio: 2012 NSCS Preseason Thunder at Daytona Press Conference with Driver Kasey Kahne

KASEY KAHNE:  It’s really just exciting to get started, to start working with the 5 guys and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports.  It’s really an incredible place.  I was able to spend some time there over the off season and just try to be as prepared as possible when we get here for testing and then when we get started during Speed Weeks.

It’s neat, though.  It’s awesome to be able to talk with Jimmie and Dale and Jeff about racing and driving and things like that, and then just all the people that they have there.  I don’t know, it’s just been kind of a different feeling more than anything than what I’ve had before at other race teams.  It’s a great opportunity, and I want to take full advantage of it.

Today we had a really good day just trying to get our car    just trying to figure it out.  They do things differently, and we’re trying to kind of feel it out and see how things felt and did a little bit of two car stuff at the end that went pretty well, too.  So I thought we had a good day.  It was a nice first day at Daytona.

Q.  How many laps were you able to do in the two car draft?  How many do you think you can do, and did you notice much of a difference with the new rules?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, we went out right at the end with the 88, and he pushed me for I think about four laps, and then the time was running out, so then I pushed him for three right before it ended up, before it ran out.  But I could have went a little bit further.  I don’t know about his car.  I would say it’s changed somewhat.  The handling of the car has changed a little bit when you’re getting pushed, and definitely the temperature has changed.  So we’re just trying to figure that out.

But it wasn’t as big of a change as what maybe    what I thought it maybe could be.  I’ve heard some people saying it probably wouldn’t be that big and others saying it would.  It didn’t seem like as big of a deal as what it could have been.

Q.  Robin Pemberton indicated tomorrow he wants you guys all in a big draft.  Is that going to be the true tell of this package?

KASEY KAHNE:  I think so because I think the    to me if the draft is fast enough and everybody can run together and you don’t have to be pushing each other, then when you do have to change from one car to the other because your engine gets hot, you’re going to lose way more than what you gain, depending on how close the draft is to the two car speed.  So until we do that, it’s just kind of an unknown of how fast that draft will be.  I mean, you have to have 20 to 30 cars in that draft to see where it’ll really stand up, stack up against maybe the tandem or a couple cars in line tandeming together.  I think tomorrow we’ll learn more about it and Saturday, as well.

Q.  Just kind of as a follow up, so basically tomorrow if you guys discover that being in the pack, like it used to be, is just as fast as doing the two car thing, it could    that would be how the situation would ultimately change the racing, correct?

KASEY KAHNE:  I think that’s what I’ve kind of thought of anyways.  I don’t know if that’s what they were    I’m pretty sure that’s probably what they were thinking.  You know, when you switch from the two car, you go from running a 44 or a 45 flat to a 47 flat, so you lose two seconds, and then it takes    over two, three laps you lose about three seconds.

So for the big draft    and you’re having to switch every four laps.  So if the big pack is a lot faster and closer to that, then you’ll go by those cars that are switching and everything.  It’s just hard to say until we get in that big pack.  I think the big pack is going to be faster now than it was last year, and it should be a little bit closer to those tandems.  But still, the tandem at times, you’re going to have to do it.  It’s just speed.  At times you’re going to see cars get hooked up and try to make some passes.

Q.  The Hendrick guys have been saying even since late last year that Kenny was bringing new ideas to the table and making them think in different ways.  Have you been able to tell just how differently you used to do things versus how they do things there and what sort of an impact Kenny can have and sort of helping these guys think outside the box a little bit?

KASEY KAHNE:  Yeah, I think the way they look at things and the way they’ve been doing things for a long time is a great way, and it’s really worked for them.  I think Kenny looks at some of the things that way, and then others a different way.  There’s so many ways to go about this car and about getting around each corner and around the racetrack.  So it’s something we’re always learning, they’re always learning and just putting in time to figure it out.  But I think together they all    they’ve worked really well together so far.  It’s been pretty awesome on my side to see how Kenny has fit right into that group, how they’ve wanted Kenny, how he’s wanted to be part of it.

I had a question earlier today, was this something that you demanded of Kenny Francis be your crew chief, and it really wasn’t.  It was something where I went in, and when I was talking to Mr. Hendrick when we were getting the deal done, I told him, man, Kenny is really good, he should be part of this place, and it would be great if he was my crew chief.  And they’re like, yeah, we’re going to look at it, we’re going to figure it out.  And from there it was all them wanting Kenny Francis.

So it’s been good.  It’s been a really good fit for everyone, and I think together we should all be able to grow more than where we’ve been in the past for sure.

Q.  On day one, how have you felt like you fit into the Hendrick program?  I assume there may have been a driver debrief or some sort of typical routine that they do.  What was it like being with a new team?

KASEY KAHNE:  Really I kind of got here the same time I would have last year or any other year, and actually got here the same time at Jeff.  We walked in and just got started.  They’re all very focused and serious about what they’re doing, but at the same time you can talk and things.  From an outsider in the past, you’re not sure maybe how that group works or some of that, but I thought today it was really relaxed, and the guys working there, the drivers, like everybody is good people.  I fit in well so far.  I mean, it’s pretty easy to fit in on day one, but it’s been good so far.

Q.  Have you had second thoughts lately about how you do things on Twitter?

KASEY KAHNE:  I took a little time off Twitter, and I just got going again now.  I’m glad we’re racing again.  I just talk about racing like I’ve always done on Twitter.  That’s about    that’s kind of where that stands.

Q.  Given the speed of the cars, do you think NASCAR will make a change with the restrictor plates, and as fast as they were going, how was the sensation different when the tandem drafted as opposed to the past?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, I didn’t really feel like it was a whole lot different.  You know, we were going a little bit faster, but it felt pretty similar.  In the past you can catch a big draft with two cars, and you’re catching maybe eight or ten that are kind of together, and I think we’ve went that fast before because it felt really normal going those speeds.  To me it’s not a real big difference.  I think NASCAR decides on the speeds and how fast they want everybody to go.  But it felt pretty normal.

Q.  Throughout the course of your career you’ve had success despite the fact that some of the organizations that you’ve been at times have been somewhat volatile.  What’s it like for you now to walk into work at Hendrick Motorsports in a place that is so solid and where you don’t have to worry about that, where you’ve got peace of mind?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, I think the biggest thing is the stability and knowing that I have four years here where I can    I just need to make the best out of it.  I need to put all the effort that I have into it.  It could be my best four years ever.  So I just want to do all that.

And to be at a team where it’s so stable, there’s so many people working at the same goal, and to have an owner, a boss like Mr. Hendrick is something that is just a great opportunity to be there and be part of that organization.

Q.  NASCAR drivers seem to adjust well.  That seems to be one of your traits, and you’ve had to adjust obviously to a lot of teams in the past.  How did that help you so far do you think with Hendrick Motorsports?

KASEY KAHNE:  Well, last year switching to the Red Bull, that was the first real big adjustment because those guys did things a little bit different than what we had in the past.  And the whole    the other changes, we still had Kenny and some of the things were pretty normal, but I think last year actually probably helped me and helped Kenny and maybe gave us a little bit of a different outlook coming into this and knowing some of the things that will be different and how the car will feel and the engine will feel.

I think last year helped a lot, to be able to make this year a little bit smoother transition than last.  And last year we made a pretty good change there.  We got going pretty quick right at the start and finished strong.  But it definitely takes time because it’s all different.  The way they build the parts and pieces and the way that feels to me and the way I relay that to Kenny, that’s something that takes time, and hopefully it doesn’t take us too long.  But there’ll definitely be some things that will confuse me at times for sure.

THE MODERATOR:  Kasey, thanks for coming in and all the best to you here at the test and at Speed Weeks for sure.

FastScripts by ASAP Sports

About Chevrolet 

Founded in 1911 in Detroit, Chevrolet is now one of the world’s largest car brands, doing business in more than 140 countries and selling more than 4 million cars and trucks a year. Chevrolet provides customers with fuel-efficient vehicles that feature spirited performance, expressive design and high quality. More information on Chevrolet models can be found at www.chevrolet.com.

Source: Team Chevy, Press Release

No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet Impala - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to join Turner Motorsports,” said Shiplett. “This is a team that has proven that they have all of the necessary tools to go out and contend for wins each and every week and I look forward to helping to add to their success. I’m especially excited to work with Kasey again and to establishing a strong relationship with Brad. Great Clips is the longest-running sponsor in the series, so I am very proud to represent them both on and off the track.”

Shiplett, a former racer himself, has over 20 years of racing experience and has worked at several championship-caliber teams in all three of NASCAR’s top touring series. The Ohio-native will have a unique opportunity next season to work with a successful veteran (Kahne) and an up and coming rookie driver (Sweet). Kahne will be driving the No. 38 for 15 races throughout the year with Sweet stepping in to fill out the balance of the 33 races on the NNS schedule.

For his part, Kahne looks forward to teaming back up with Shiplett and feels that he could be just the person to help lead the No. 38 Great Clips team back to victory lane.

“It will be great to work with Mike again,” said Kahne. “He’s done a lot in the sport and he will be a great asset to Turner Motorsports. This 38 team has been on the verge of getting back into victory lane and I think the addition of Mike to the team is just what we need to get us there.”

Great Clips, Inc. is currently the longest-running sponsor in the NNS and has used the Nationwide Series as their primary marketing platform for the last 11 years. Their sponsorship began in 2000 with Akins Motorsports as they climbed on board to sponsor the team’s No. 38 entry with driver, Christian Elder. Mark Green piloted the No. 38 for one season before general manager, Doug Stringer, hired up-and-coming talent, Kasey Kahne, thereby solidifying Great Clips commitment to their NASCAR sponsorship.

Turner Motorsports Thumbnail

Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, has completed its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Great Clips, BRANDT, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.

About Great Clips:

Great Clips, Inc. was established in 1982 in Minneapolis. Today, Great Clips has more than 3,000 salons throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world’s largest salon brand. Great Clips salons employ nearly 30,000 stylists who receive ongoing training to learn advanced skills and the latest trends. Make Great Clips your choice for value-priced, high-quality haircare for men, women and children. No appointments needed, and salons are open nights and weekends. And, it’s more convenient than ever with Great Clips’ Online Check-In. To check-in online, visit www.greatclips.com or download the app for Android and iPhone. For more information about Great Clips, Inc. or to find a location near you, visit www.greatclips.com.

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

JR Motorsports

Whitt, a 20-year-old native of Alpine, Calif., will also compete for Sunoco Rookie-of-the-Year honors. He comes to JR Motorsports from the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, where he finished ninth in last year’s championship standings with one pole, two top-five and 11 top-10 finishes. To date he is the youngest driver ever to win the USAC (United States Auto Club) National Midget championship, as his title-winning effort in 2008 put him alongside esteemed former USAC national champions such as Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Kasey Kahne.

“Cole is the guy we wanted, and we’re lucky to get him,” Earnhardt Jr. said. “He’s got raw, untapped talent, but we are most impressed with his ambition. I sought advice and input from people I respect in the industry, and the overwhelming consensus was that Cole has the potential to do great things in this sport.”

The signing of Whitt completes the 2012 driver line-up for JR Motorsports, which will compete in Nationwide Series competition with Whitt in the No. 88 Chevrolet, Danica Patrick in the No. 7 Chevrolet, and Earnhardt Jr. in select races in the No. 5 Chevrolet. All three drivers will compete in the season-opener at Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 25.

“This is a big opportunity for me, and I’m happy to be a part of the JR Motorsports team,” said Whitt, who was introduced to employees Wednesday morning. “I’m grateful to Dale, Kelley and everyone at JR Motorsports for giving me this chance. It’s an honor to work with the Eurys, and I will do everything in my power to put this No. 88 team where it belongs in Victory Lane.”

Whitt got his start racing karts and saw immediate success with eight International Karting Federation championships and two World Karting Association grand national championships. He was the Hoosier Sprint Car Rookie of the Year in 2006 and earned 34 top-10 finishes in 60 USAC starts in 2007 before winning the championship in 2008. Whitt advanced to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2010, promptly notching two poles and finishing fourth in points in his first year.

OTHER NEWS: JR Motorsports has hired Bruce Cook as crew chief for the No. 5 team, which will run primarily with Earnhardt Jr. in select races. Cook comes to JR Motorsports from Kevin Harvick, Inc., where he served as crew chief in 2011 in the Camping World Truck Series, predominately for the No. 2 KHI Chevrolet, which won the owner’s championship. With Cook atop the pit box, his team scored six wins, 19 top-fives and 22 top-10s. Cook was also the winning crew chief of the Nationwide Series season-opener at Daytona in 2011 with driver Tony Stewart.

ABOUT JR MOTORSPORTS:

Based in Mooresville, N.C., JR Motorsports is the management company and racing operation for Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCAR’s nine-time Most Popular Driver and winner of more than 40 NASCAR-sanctioned races. JR Motorsports competes in multiple racing divisions, including the NASCAR Nationwide Series where the team owns 10 victories. To learn more about the organization and its stable of drivers which include Earnhardt Jr., Danica Patrick and Cole Whitt, visit www.JRMracing.com. The JR Motorsports facility also houses the JR Nation retail store, Hammerhead Entertainment and JRM Licensing.

- JR Motorsports Press Release

No. 38 Great Clips Chevrolet Impala - Photo Credit: Chris Graythen / Getty Images for NASCAR

Kahne began his NNS career wheeling the No. 38 car with Great Clips, Inc. serving as sponsor. Together, Kahne and the world’s largest salon brand reached momentous milestones including capturing Kahne’s first NNS victory in 2003 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It was also Great Clips’ first win as primary sponsor. In 2005, Kahne captured his second career win at Texas Motor Speedway before stepping out of the ride as he progressed to the Sprint Cup Series ranks. In 2010, Kahne decided to return to the NNS on a limited basis and found himself back at the helm of the No. 38 machine, sporting the banner of his longtime sponsor. During both the 2010 and 2011 NNS seasons, Kahne piloted the car for eight races, racking up four top-five and six top-10 finishes.

Following in the footsteps of Kahne, Sweet made a name for himself in the national open-wheel racing circuits. After being tapped to drive for KKR in 2008 by Kahne himself, Sweet became a superstar in his own right in the USAC racing world with victories including the Belleville Midget Nationals, the Knoxville Midget Nationals and both the Sprint Car and Midget “Four Crown Nationals” at Eldora Speedway. Showing no signs of slowing his success, Sweet will embark upon a new adventure as he makes his debut in the NNS in 2012 with Turner Motorsports. No stranger to the Great Clips Racing family, Sweet has made 18 NCWTS starts as well as one NNS start (2010) sporting the Great Clips banner over the last three seasons.

Kahne has thoroughly enjoyed reuniting with his longtime sponsor and is looking forward to another season representing the Minneapolis-based company.

“I have had such a long-standing relationship with Great Clips and it’s been great teaming back up with them again,” says Kahne. “They gave me my first real shot in this sport and that is something I have never forgotten.”

For his part, Sweet is ready to jump into this next phase of his career and is grateful for the support of Great Clips, Turner Motorsports and Kahne.

“I can’t begin to say how excited and grateful I am for this opportunity to compete in the Nationwide Series and to join Kasey in representing Great Clips both on and off the track,” says Sweet. “Turner Motorsports is a first class organization with equipment capable of contending for wins week in and week out. I don’t think I could be in a better position to take the next step in my racing career.”

Great Clips, Inc. is currently the longest-running sponsor in the NNS and has used the Nationwide Series as their primary marketing platform for the last 11 years. Their sponsorship began in 2000 with Akins Motorsports as they climbed on board to sponsor the team’s No. 38 entry with driver, Christian Elder. Mark Green piloted the No. 38 for one season before general manager, Doug Stringer, hired up-and-coming talent, Kasey Kahne, thereby solidifying Great Clips commitment to their NASCAR sponsorship.

About Turner Motorsports:

Turner Motorsports, LLC, established in 1999, has completed its sophomore season of NASCAR competition. Owned by Texas businessman Steve Turner, the organization has expanded in 2011 from a two-truck operation in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) to become the largest stand-alone multi-series team in NASCAR’s top-tier touring series. Turner Motorsports operates out of an 110,000 square-foot state-of-the art facility in Mooresville, N.C. The Chevrolet-backed team has created alliances with General Motors’ powerhouse teams Hendrick Motorsports, which provides engine support for both its NNS and NCWTS programs, and Earnhardt Technology Group for drive train and suspension technology assistance. Turner Motorsports’ marketing partners include Great Clips, Mike’s Hard Lemonade, BRANDT, Exide, AccuDoc Solutions, Wolfpack Rentals, Fraternal Order of Eagles and ABF Freight. For more information on Turner Motorsports, visit www.turnermotorsportsllc.com.

About Great Clips:

Great Clips, Inc. was established in 1982 in Minneapolis. Today, Great Clips has more than 3,000 salons throughout the United States and Canada, making it the world’s largest salon brand. Great Clips salons employ nearly 30,000 stylists who receive ongoing training to learn advanced skills and the latest trends. Make Great Clips your choice for value-priced, high-quality haircare for men, women and children. No appointments needed, and salons are open nights and weekends. And, it’s more convenient than ever with Great Clips’ Online Check-In. To check-in online, visit www.greatclips.com. or download the app for Android and iPhone. For more information about Great Clips, Inc. or to find a location near you, visit www.greatclips.com.

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

Justin Allgaier

“Our NASCAR program has grown significantly over the years, and because of the strong support our racing program receives from our customers and vendors each year, it was a no-brainer to make it 19 straight seasons of such activity in 2012,” said Steve Cook, Northeastern Supply’s President and CEO.

During the company’s nearly two decades of NASCAR programming, Northeastern Supply has grown from a business with six branches in two Middle Atlantic States to one operating 32 branches and distribution centers conducting business in Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, DC.

“The associate support we have given so many NASCAR teams in the Nationwide Division over the years has been an interesting journey for our company, and because of how they do business and treat their sponsors, it was an easy decision for us to remain with Turner Motorsports for another season,” Cook explained.

“We enjoyed three good seasons backing the efforts of the Great Clips team and drivers Jason Leffler and Kasey Kahne. Now we’ve decided to move over to Justin Allgaier and the #31 Brandt Farm Equipment Chevrolet team in 2012 in hopes of helping them challenge for the championship,” Cook added.

Allgaier is the 25-year-old Riverton, IL driver who in his last two Nationwide Series campaigns has posted two victories and finished fourth and third, respectively, in the 2010 and 2011 driver championship competition. Allgaier’s 2010 effort came while driving a Dodge for Penske Racing before moving over to a Chevrolet at Turner Motorsports last season in which he recorded six top five and 17 top ten finishes in beating everyone in points except for champ Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and runner-up Elliott Sadler.

Nicknamed “Little Gator” at a young age because of his small size and ferociousness behind the wheel, Allgaier began developing his talents driving quarter midgets and by the time he was 12 had already earned more than 100 feature wins and five championships.

Allgaier steadily progressed up the competition ladder, moving to Late Models at age 13. In 2001, at just 14 years of age, Allgaier made national headlines when he became the youngest driver to ever qualify for the ‘A’ Main in the famed Chili Bowl indoor midget event in Tulsa, OK. That performance enabled Justin to earn a shot to race full bodied stock cars two years later when he debuted in the ARCA RE/MAX Series with a team part-owned by former NASCAR star Ken Schrader. In three starts in this high-level competition that season, Allgaier earned a best finish of 11th and the experience served as a springboard to a full-time ARCA effort in 2006.

In 2007, after returning to the Chili Bowl and earning a third place finish in the ‘A’ Main behind now 3-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart and veteran J.J. Yeley, Allgaier ran all 23 ARCA races and finished fourth in driver points after winning once, posting four top five and 11 top ten finishes. He also found time that year to win five UMP Late Model Series and three midget races, displaying ability to successfully drive pretty much anything on four wheels.

Allgaier raced 21 times in 2008 in the ARCA RE/MAX Series, and at the age of 22 captured the overall championship with a 6-win, 14 top-five and 16 top-ten campaign that directly propelled him to NASCAR and a driver development contract with Penske Racing. He made his Nationwide Series debut for Penske that same year before competing full-time in the country’s second top stock car circuit in 2009.

In 35 starts that season, Allgaier recorded three top five and 12 top ten finishes en-route to a 6th place finish in driver points. Only a lack of sponsorship dollars kept Allgaier from continuing with the Penske organization beyond the 2010 season when Justin had a breakout year that included his first Nationwide Series victory, two poles, an average 11th place finish and a 4th place effort in driver points. Penske Racing’s loss is obviously Turner Motorsports’ gain and now to the benefit of Justin’s newest sponsor, Northeastern Supply.

Allgaier will be the lone Turner Motorsports driver to carry the Northeastern Supply flag in 2012 that will feature the hard-charging chauffeur in various Northeastern Supply promotions conducted throughout the season. Heading these promotions will be a variety of customer-driven events to be held in conjunction with each of the two NASCAR race weekends at the Dover (DE) International Speedway, Northeastern Supply’s “home” race track.

“We’re excited to have Northeastern Supply back in the Turner Motorsports family next year,” Allgaier stated. “The upcoming season will be Northeastern’s 19th consecutive in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition and fourth straight with Turner Motorsports. I know they have several big events scheduled throughout the year and I’m honored to have the chance to be included and play a more integral part in them.”

Allgaier is the latest top name to be added to the impressive list of drivers who have been sponsored by Northeastern Supply over the years. That list includes Leffler, Kahne, Yeley, Mike and Kenny Wallace, Jason Keller, Phil Parsons, Sterling Marlin, Hank Parker, Jr. and Kevin Lepage.

- On Track Marketing, Inc. Press Release

Polar Bear 150

The win is Barnes’ third Polar Bear victory in four years.

“I was prepared to take second,” said Barnes from Rockingham Speedway’s victory lane. “He was a little better than me on those longer runs. He just got loose, and I just got underneath him in (turn) four on that last lap.”

Chuck Barnes Sr. (No. 5) used a turn four pass to edge Frank Kimmel II by .016 seconds in the Polar Bear 150 at Rockingham Speedway.

The .016 seconds margin-of-victory was the closest at Rockingham Speedway since Matt Kenseth edged Kasey Kahne by .010 seconds in the last NASCAR Sprint Cup race at the track in 2004.

“We really got lucky today,” said Barnes about the lap 33 incident that sent his car around in turn one. “It’s tough racing with all these lap cars with some running 50 miles per hour slower than others. But it’s fun passing all those cars on a track like this.”

“It seemed like I was terrible off of (turn) three,” said a dejected Kimmel. “But since it was so loose, the car continued to turn through four, which made it really fast down the front stretch. I could pass him down the front, because we had a little more motor. My game plan was to be second at the white flag, and pass him on the last lap and keep him on my outside. It just didn’t work out that way.”

Kimmel had to overcome troubles of his own to be in position to win.

His No. 72 Chevrolet cut a right rear tire during a caution period on lap 104. When the race resumed Kimmel found himself in 12th place, the last car on the lead lap. But Kimmel only needed 27 laps to work his way back to the front.

That the race came down to a last lap battle between Barnes and Kimmel was fitting as they were the only two to lead laps on the day. They officially swapped the lead 17 times in the 150-lap event.

Cliff Gaumond, running only his third FKSSN race, finished third.

“I didn’t know how much to push it right away because I didn’t want to ball it up in the beginning,” said Gaumond. “Because I don’t have a lot of experience in these cars, I was riding at 90% for most of the race, and when I turned it on I just didn’t have enough to get them.”

Clint Watkins and Tony Conway rounded out the top five in the final running order.

The race was slowed 11 times for 57 laps. Of the 54 cars that started the race, 10 were on the lead lap at the end.

- Rockingham Speedway Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 2nd

How was your qualifying lap? “It’s been a good day for the NAPA Toyota so far. We’ve been happy with the car all day. We had a lot of speed in race trim and it was a good qualifying lap for us. The guys made good adjustments from practice and the track picked up grip. Obviously the speeds were up quite a bit from practice so it was a good lap. I wish that Carl (Edwards) hadn’t of beat us, but it seems like he wins everything anymore. I’m happy to be in here today. I feel like we kind of let one slip away here last year in the race. Led a bunch of laps and got a flat tire late so hopefully we can make up for that tomorrow and close the deal. It would be great to end the season on a high note and get this thing in victory lane.”

How much has your team improved over the last few weeks? “I think our team has done a nice job all year as far as bringing fast race cars to the race track. There’s been some other things that we’ve missed on — part failures and making mistakes and things that’s really hurt us in the points. But, we’ve had fast cars all year long. For us this season, it’s been a lot of what could’ve been or what might have been. Going into the offseason I feel like we know our strengths and our weaknesses and what we need to work on to be better. But, as far as the group of guys I have and the cars that we’ve been bringing to the race track, we’ve made huge strides especially at the end of the season here with the mile-and-a-half type tracks where we struggled through the mid part of the season quite a bit. We made huge gains there so we’re excited going into the offseason of what we need to work on and come out of the box strong next year. For us, we just need consistency. We’ve got the speed, we’ve got the team to do it and we’ve got great guys that go over the wall and pit the car. We just need to be smarter, race smarter and make less mistakes next year.”

How much has the grip on the race track changed? “The track just had a little bit more grip than what it had this morning. Anytime we run the single-car runs it’s easy to pick up some of that rubber that’s been sitting there getting hot. We listened to some guys earlier saying the track had more grip and we went with that and luckily it worked out good for us.”

What was your strategy for your qualifying lap? “I couldn’t figure out which groove to run. I ran some in practice up high and I was fast up there and I ran some down low and I was fast there so I said, ‘Heck with them, I’m going to run the middle.’ And it worked out. Our NAPA Toyota has been really fast all day long. I love coming here to Homestead. It’s a great track and I feel like we let one slip away here last year so hopefully we can get that win tomorrow.”

Do you have a favorite for tomorrow’s championship? “There’s no telling. Four hundred miles anything can happen. Those two guys are some of the best out there and obviously they proved that. That’s why they’re in that position and I just hope that I get to race with those guys for the win because I’m sure they will be upfront come the end of the day.”

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 3rd

How was your qualifying lap? “I felt really good. My Red Bull Toyota stuck really well. I felt like I waited on the front end a little bit getting into (turn) one — maybe a little too long — and then again in (turn) three. Wasted a little bit of time, but either way Carl (Edwards) ran a great lap. A really fast lap. And Martin (Truex Jr.) beat us too. It was still a good run for our guys. Each week they’ve been giving me awesome race cars and it’s been a lot of fun driving them lately.”

Are you happy with your season? “It’s been a really awesome year for myself. This time last year I was kind of making that move to Red Bull and prior to that I was wanting to make that move and ready for a change and ready to work with some new people and a little bit of excitement again. I’ve had that all season long. I feel great about where we’re at right now and how much we’ve gained as a team throughout the season and how strong our cars are, which everybody is a big part of that. And now it’s about over. We qualified third today and have a great car for tomorrow and then it will be another change. So, it’s been a great season. A lot of fun to work with everybody and they’ve given all of us a great opportunity. I wish it was halfway through. I wish the season was 50 percent of the way through and we had a lot more to go this year because I feel like right now is by far the best that I’ve been as a Cup driver and that we’ve had as a team. Everything put together, I think this has been our strongest time ever. It’s about over and hopefully we can finish strong tomorrow and do the best we can and maybe get another win. That would be a great way to end.”

Do you have a favorite for tomorrow’s championship? “I don’t know on the points race. It’s going to be exciting. Carl (Edwards) has probably been the best so far this weekend if you look at where he’s at. I think Tony (Stewart) ran a lot more — longer runs and things. Carl is starting on the pole. Carl was great here last year. He started second and won the race so it will be interesting. I think it’s going to be a good duel.”

What does it say about your team to run so well to close out the season? “I’ve been running really good. The whole Red Bull team has done a great job. It’s been a lot of fun these last 10 to 12 races — it’s been awesome. So, we’re just trying to finish strong tomorrow. We qualified good today. I just wish we could’ve got that pole. We were really close. The balance in the car was great there. Just barely missed it. We’ve had a really solid effort here in the last couple of months.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 10th

Are you pleased with your qualifying lap? “That was a pretty decent qualifying run for us. We usually qualify in the 30s here. It looks like we’ll be somewhere in the top-10 to 12 — a step up. We just struggled for speed all day long. We just couldn’t figure out where to find it — where to get it. Mike (Ford, crew chief) made some good adjustments right there with qualifying.”

Any benefit to running three races this weekend? “You learn some stuff, for sure. It helps you get up to speed a little bit faster. At least it does for me. Even though it’s a lot of work — it does help in certain ways.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 19th

How was your qualifying lap? “Our Interstate Batteries Camry wasn’t bad. Our balance was pretty good but just needed a little more speed in qualifying. I was happy with our car in race trim this morning, so I think we can race them with what we worked on in race trim.”

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 24th

Are you happy with your race car? “No. I’d like for the qualifying to be better. I’m pretty happy with the race car. Qualifying trim we weren’t as good as we needed to be. I just kind of lost the nose in the center and just kind of washed out a little bit. I’m not really happy with where my line is. It’s been a long time since I’ve been here — it’s been a couple years. I think the track has changed a good bit since the last time I was here. It’s been two years. So, I think it’s changed a decent amount — so still got to figure that out. In race trim, I think we’re pretty good. In qualifying we were a little off.”

Did you meet with NASCAR and Matt Kenseth? “Yeah. We did meet with NASCAR and it was a good conversation. It was good to air out everything. I think it was good for everybody to hear both sides of the story. NASCAR gave their perspective of how things transpired. Matt (Kenseth) gave his and I gave mine. I think that once Matt understood my perspective and I understood some of his — then I think now we’re more on the same page. When he first was describing kind of his perspective — I think there was a lot of information he didn’t have about like when I was underneath him at Martinsville. You know, we rubbed fenders a few times. I think that’s pretty common for Martinsville. I don’t think we were the first two guys to touch at Martinsville Speedway. I know I raced him clean, I raced him as clean as I was probably racing anybody that day. The only time I really got into him was when the 14 (Tony Stewart) hit me in the middle of the corner — you know was bumping me in the middle of the corner. I think that was a perspective that Matt didn’t really have. He didn’t know that. Even if that wasn’t the case, I still think him just dumping us at Martinsville — just flat pushed me up in the corner until I hit the wall — was a bit of an overstep.”

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Starting Position: 28th

COLE WHITT, No. 84 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Starting Position: 29th

Were you pleased with your qualifying lap? “Yeah. Just happy to be in (the race). That’s what we come down here to do — get in the race. First thing first. It’s pretty amazing for me. It’s a big step. So, I’m just glad we could come out and do this.”

Do you have any goals for Sunday’s race? “Seat time is definitely crucial. We’re not going to be as tame as we were in Phoenix. In Phoenix, we held back a lot. Here, now that we’re in the race, we’ll try and race for anything we can get. See what we can do.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Starting Position: 32nd

How was your qualifying lap? “There was no grip out there. We just haven’t had enough speed in our cars. Still got to figure something out here. We’re not very fast in race trim or qualifying trim right now. So, we have to figure something out.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 66 HP Racing, LLC Toyota Camry, HP Racing Starting Position: 33rd

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Reese Towpower Project Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Starting Position: 35th

How was your qualifying lap? “It was okay. A little too free to come to the free and then we still struggled with something there. It was a little bit too free to come to the green and after that it was alright. Nothing special. It seemed like our car was balanced pretty good in race trim, just needed to have a little bit more grip on the front end. Other than that it wasn’t bad in race trim. It’s been a pretty calm day.”

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Starting Position: 37th

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 Hard Rock Vodka Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Starting Position: 39th

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

KAHNE COLLECTS CHECKERS:

PHOENIX FLASHBACK: Along with Kahne’s win, Camry driver David Reutimann also earned a top-10 result at the one-mile Phoenix race track with a seventh-place result. In Saturday’s NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) race at Phoenix, Joey Logano was the highest-finishing Toyota driver with a fourth-place result. Camry drivers Ryan Truex (eighth) and Michael Annett (10th) also registered top-10 finishes at the Arizona oval. In six races driving for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) during the 2011 season, Truex recorded four top-10 results and never finished lower than 13th-place.

SEASON-FINALE CHASE RACE: Sunday’s NSCS race at Homestead-Miami Speedway is the 10th and final race in the 2011 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship playoff. Camry drivers Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin have both competed in this year’s Chase. Hamlin sits 10th in the standings, 110 points behind series leader Carl Edwards, and Busch is 12th, 135 points back.

HOMESTEAD HIGHLIGHTS: Hamlin earned the first NSCS win at Homestead for Toyota in 2009, leading the field three times for a race-high 71 laps (of 267). Hamlin has posted three top-three finishes in six career starts at Homestead. JGR teammate and fellow Chase competitor Busch recorded his only top-10 finish in six starts at Homestead with an eighth- place result that year. Camry drivers have earned two poles at the 1.5-mile oval — Reutimann in 2008 and Kahne earned the pole last year. Last year, Kahne led the first 10 laps and fellow Camry driver Martin Truex Jr. led the field six times for 62 laps.

TRIPLE PLAY: Hamlin will compete in all three NASCAR races in the same weekend for the first time in his career at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Hamlin is set to drive the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 18 Tundra in Friday night’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) race and will then climb behind the wheel of the JGR No. 18 Camry in the NNS race on Saturday to help JGR battle for the Nationwide Series owner’s championship. He will then pilot the No. 11 Camry in the season-ending NSCS event Sunday at the 1.5-mile oval.

TUNDRA TALLY: Tundra drivers have had a great deal of success in NCWTS competition at Homestead, winning four of the seven NCWTS races they have competed in at the track, including victories by Busch (2010), Todd Bodine (2008 and 2005) and Johnny Benson (2007). Tundra drivers have also captured the pole position four times with Reutimann earning back-to-back poles in 2004 and 2005, and Mike Skinner captured the top starting spot at Homestead in 2008 and 2006.

BACK STORY: Follow Toyota Racing on Twitter (@toyotaracing) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/toyotaracing). Background and images about the Toyota NASCAR program are available at www.toyotamotorsportsmedia.com.

NOTES, QUOTES & NUMBERS

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS): Since the start of the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for six victories, 38 top-five results, 75 top-10 finishes and have led 2,473 laps … Red Bull Racing Team will field a third Camry race car for the second straight week at Homestead with Cole Whitt … Whitt earned a 25th-place finish in his NSCS debut last Sunday at Phoenix … Former University of Miami walk-on quarterback Trey Burklin is the jack man for the Red Bull Racing Team No. 4 Camry … Kyle Busch will run a TRD-built engine in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18 Camry at Homestead.

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Camry, Red Bull Racing Team

How has your team been able to run so strong at the end of the season? “We’re lucky that everybody is working hard and has stayed after it, preparing great race cars. We’re bringing awesome cars to the track. I wouldn’t say there’s anyone out there that’s building better cars at this time. The Red Bull guys are doing an awesome job and they haven’t given up. I think it’s just the people. They’re doing a great job and we’ve been able to stay focused. I love racing. If I’m in a race car, I want to do the best that I can. Kenny Francis (crew chief) has given me some cars in the last few months that we’ve been able to perform with and run with Carl (Edwards) and Tony (Stewart), who have been probably the two best.”

What does it mean to possibly get the Red Bull Racing Team its last win as an organization? “It feels really good. Hopefully, it’s not their last win. I think we’re going to have a shot at Homestead too. I’m looking forward to Homestead. It feels great to get a win for Red Bull and get a win in the No. 4 car. It’s something new for both of us to come over and have a one-year deal. It takes time to get familiar with things and the people and working together. To win a race at this level, as competitive as everything is right now, for myself, to see how happy all the pit crew guys were, the guys preparing the race cars at Red Bull, it was pretty cool. Makes you feel pretty good to be part of that.”

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Express Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What do you need to work on at Joe Gibbs Racing to get ready for 2012? “I think everyone is ready to do what it takes. One thing about Joe Gibbs (team owner) is he’s never short on resources. If we feel like we need to get something and we don’t have it, he’ll go buy it and go do it. He’s one of those owners where he’ll do whatever it takes, hire whoever he has to hire, and I feel like that’s hard to come by in our sport. You’re not going to hold down JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) for so long. They’ve done a really good job over the last 20 years of existence of staying one of the elite race teams and they will in the future.”

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

What does it take to be fast at Homestead? “It’s been a good track to us in the first third of a race, but then in the last two thirds it’s been tough. I like going to Homestead. To be fast there, you have to be able to get your car comfortable getting into the corner — that’s the biggest thing. The corners there, you can build so much speed through them that you have to be comfortable carrying that speed into the corner just as much as coming out of it.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA Auto Parts Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing

How much do you want to win a race? “A win this year would be huge, it’s not over yet. We’ve been in position this year to have a shot at winning two or three of these things and we just haven’t taken advantage of it. We’ve had good speed in our cars and it’s just a matter of us racing smarter, being better prepared and making better decisions. I’m confident in this team and that we can get the job done. Homestead last year was probably our best run of the year. We led a bunch until we got a flat. It would be awesome to close the year out with a win.”

NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS): During the 2011 season, Toyota drivers have combined for 10 wins, 37 top-five results, 83 top-10 finishes and have led 1,610 laps … Kenny Wallace (seventh) is the top Toyota driver in the NNS point standings … Michael Annett (eighth), Brian Scott (ninth) and Steve Wallace (10th) are also in the top-10 in points … Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 18 Camry team leads the NNS owner championship standings by one point going into Homestead.

BRIAN SCOTT, No. 11 Shore Lodge Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

How would you evaluate your first season at Joe Gibbs Racing? “The first half of the season we really weren’t finishing and running to our expectations. We had good performances fairly often, but we were never there to capitalize on it at the finish. We scratched up a lot of good race cars. Then, in the sec ond half of the season, we’ve done much better and we’ve really come a long way with this whole team. It gets me fired up because of how we’ve been running lately going into next year and having a legitimate shot at being a title contender.”

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS): Since the start of the 2011 NCWTS season, Tundra drivers have registered nine wins, 34 top-five results, 71 top-10 finishes and have led 1,111 laps … After 24 races, Timothy Peters (fifth) is the top Toyota driver in the NCWTS points standings … Tundra drivers Todd Bodine (sixth), Brendan Gaughan (12th), David Starr (13th), Miguel Paludo (17th) and Max Papis (18th) are also in the top-20 in the points … The Toyota Tundra will make its 200th NCWTS start this weekend at Homestead since joining series competition in 2004 … Bryan Berry, crew chief on the Germain Racing No. 62 Tundra, hails from Homestead, Fla. … NASCAR Mexico Series Champion German Quiroga will make his second career NCWTS start at Homestead in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 51 Tundra.

BRENDAN GAUGHAN, No. 62 Tire Kingdom/Service Central Toyota Tundra, Germain Racing

Are you looking forward to racing at Homestead? “I’m excited about getting to Homestead with the momentum this team has built in the last few weeks. We hope to finish off the year strong. The racing groove has really opened up a lot. You can run around the top, bottom, or middle. It gives the driver and the crew chief a lot of options for chassis setup and chassis adjustments. One thing about Homestead is that it’s not like any other 1.5-mile track on the circuit. There’s no dog-leg, so the corner entry and exit is different than any other intermediate track we race.”

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Nelson Piquet Jr. (Photo Credit: Lesley Ann Miller)

Turner Motorsports welcomes Nelson Piquet Jr. … Turner Motorsports is pleased to welcome NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) standout Nelson Piquet Jr. to the seat of the No. 30 Chevrolet for this weekend’s Ford 300 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Piquet Jr. made his NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) debut at Watkins Glen International in 2010. In his lone NNS start, the Brazil native brought home a seventh-place finish after qualifying in the 10th position.

NCWTS notes… As Piquet Jr. prepares for his first NNS race of 2011, the 26-year-old is wrapping up his rookie pursuit for the NCWTS championship. Over the course of 24 starts this season, he has captured five top-five and nine top-10 finishes, leading 52 laps along the way. He sits 10th in the championship point standings and is just five markers down in the fierce battle for the series’ Rookie of the Year honors.

Calling the shots… This weekend, Piquet Jr. will work with veteran crew chief Stewart Cooper. Cooper has worked with several drivers in 2011 including Kasey Kahne, Ryan Newman, Boris Said, James Buescher and Ricky Carmichael.

This week’s Impala… The No. 30 team will round out the 2011 season this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway hitting the track with chassis TMS-310. This chassis made its debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway, where Kahne drove it to a fifth-place finish after starting in the seventh spot. Buescher also piloted TMS-310 two weeks ago at Texas Motor Speedway, finishing in the 17th spot.

Bienvenidos a NASCAR… In support of NASCAR’s ‘Bienvenidos a NASCAR’ program, Piquet Jr.’s No. 30 Chevrolet will sport a special program decal this weekend. In addition to decals on entries in all three of NASCAR’s top series, the program will provide bilingual brand ambassadors, virtual garage tours and guidebooks of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series garage. There will be a Spanish language broadcast available via scanner (via ESPN Deportes), as well as ‘Bienvenidos a NASCAR’ ticket packages though Homestead-Miami Speedway and a Chino y Nacho pre-race concert on Sunday, Nov. 20th at 12 p.m. at the Coca-Cola Stage.

Turner Motorsports: A look back… In 33 Nationwide Series events in 2011, Turner Motorsports-prepared entries have notched three wins, 21 top-five and 62 top-10 finishes. Mark Martin kicked off the season capturing the team’s first-ever NASCAR win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in March. It was Justin Allgaier’s turn in June when he nabbed his second-career win at Chicagoland Speedway and Reed Sorenson rounded the month out winning his first NNS race with the organization at Road America. Both of Turner Motorsports’ championship-contending drivers are inside the top-10 in the driver point standings with Allgaier in third and Jason Leffler in sixth.

In 24 NCWTS races in 2011, Turner Motorsports’ entries have earned 13 top-five and 31 top-10 finishes. The organization has earned five pole awards with Buescher earning three, and Carmichael and Steve Arpin capturing one each. Buescher is currently sitting third in the championship point standings, 28 markers out of the lead.

Nelson Piquet Jr. on racing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series

“I am really excited to have the opportunity to get in the Nationwide car for Turner Motorsports this weekend. I have never done double duty before, so I am really looking forward to it. It is going to be a lot of seat time, more then I have ever done before in one weekend. I want to thank Steve Turner for giving me the opportunity to get in one of his cars, and I am looking forward to bringing home a solid finish in the No. 30 machine.”

Follow the No. 30 team on Twitter! Twitter.com/No30TurnerNNS

Follow Nelson Piquet Jr. on Twitter! Twitter.com/NelsonPiquet

Follow Turner Motorsports on Facebook! Facebook.com/TurnerMotorsports

- Turner Motorsports Press Release

JR Motorsports

EVENT – Ford 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)

TRACK – Homestead-Miami Speedway (1.5-mile oval)

DATE – Saturday, Nov. 19, 2011

TV / RADIO – ESPN2 (coverage begins at 4:30 p.m. EST) / MRN (broadcast begins at 4 p.m. EST)

Aric Almirola

No. 88 GT Vodka Chevrolet

“Homestead is a track that’s a lot of fun to race on. It has progressive banking through the corners. That’s why you see drivers go into the corner and move around a lot. Anytime you go somewhere that you can move around, it’s good. As a racecar driver, you want options on where you can run.

“I’m looking forward to a bit of a break following Homestead. But at the same time, when you’re running well and things are going your way, you can’t wait to get back to the racetrack. So at times, the few weeks we have off seem a lot longer.”

Danica Patrick

No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet

“I remember the car feeling really loose most of the time last year at Homestead. It’s a challenging track, even in IndyCar. I think we wasted a lot of good time during practice, because I was unfamiliar with how to drive the corners. Aric (Almirola, teammate) told me, ‘you’ve got to drive it in the corner, and you’ve got to get it on the right front.’ The corners are very tight compared to a lot of other mile-and-a-halfs. Toward the end of practice we got it better.

“I went into qualifying and surprised myself by qualifying fifth. I feel like I’m getting into the swing of qualifying a little bit more. More than anything, it will be nice to start off the weekend driving the track as it needs to be driven so we can work on the car, as opposed to figuring it out during the last part of practice.”

JR MOTORSPORTS NOTEBOOK –

PATRICK SEES IMPROVEMENT THROUGH SOPHOMORE CAMPAIGN – Danica Patrick will put an end to an eventful and noteworthy sophomore season this weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway. In 11 starts this year, Patrick earned one top-five and three top-10 finishes. Her fourth-place finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway rewrote the history books, making Patrick the highest finishing female in any NASCAR national touring series race. The effort bested the 62-year-old record of Sara Christian, who finished fifth at Heidlberg, Pa. on Oct. 2, 1949 in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Patrick also has led a career-high 14 laps, 13 of which came in a dramatic finish at Daytona in July when she took the lead with two laps to go. Her victory chances were ruined by a multi-car accident within sight of the checkered flag. Patrick’s average finish this year is 16.1 as compared to 28.0 in her 13-race rookie season in 2010.

PATRICK’S MEDIA AVAILABILITY – Danica Patrick will be available to members of the NASCAR media at 10:45 a.m. local time on Friday, Nov. 18 in the Homestead-Miami Speedway media center deadline room.

MILE-AND-A-HALF STRENGTH – Patrick has not finished outside the top-15 in the four 1.5-mile races she’s competed in this season (Las Vegas, Chicago, Kansas and Texas). The 29-year-old holds one top-five and two top-10s with an average finish of 10.0 at those facilities.

PATRICK AT HOMESTEAD – Patrick’s second-best qualifying effort of her short career came at Homestead last year with a fifth-place start. The mark was eclipsed only by a fourth-place starting spot at Daytona in February. She also led the first laps of her Nationwide Series career at Homestead in 2010, leading once for four laps.

NO. 7 SEASON STATS – Every driver of the No. 7 this season has scored a top-10 finish. The list includes Dale Earnhardt Jr., Ron Fellows, Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne, Jamie McMurray, Patrick and Josh Wise. The No. 7 team holds six top-five and 12 top-10 finishes in 2011. The team occupies the 11th position in owner points.

ALMIROLA WRAPS UP FIRST FULL SEASON WITH JRM – Despite owning 72 starts in Nationwide Series competition over the span of five years, the Homestead event concludes Almirola’s first full season with JR Motorsports. His season totals feature one pole (Phoenix 11/12), seven top-five and 17 top-10 finishes, including a string of nine top-10s in a 10-week mid-summer stretch. Almirola has led 101 laps in 2011. He led 66 last week at Phoenix International Raceway. He has earned an average finish of 12.2. He enters the weekend fourth in championship points, trailing third-place Justin Allgaier by 15 points. The No. 88 Chevrolet is ninth in owner points.

ALMIROLA AT HOMESTEAD – Almirola has seven starts at Homestead across NASCAR’s top-three series, earning two top-five and two top-10 finishes. His best finish of fourth came during the Sprint Cup Series season finale last year. Almirola’s best finish in Nationwide Series competition is 18th.

QUALIFYING EFFORTS – JR Motorsports competed in its first Nationwide Series race at Homestead-Miami Speedway in 2005 with driver Mark McFarland. Statistically it is one of the organization’s best qualifying tracks. In nine starts there a JRM Chevrolet has qualified in top-10 six times.

ALMIROLA’S APPEARANCES IN HOMESTEAD – Almirola will attend the NASCAR Nationwide Series’ Championship Drive event on Thursday, Nov. 17th from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST located at Lummus Park, Miami Beach, Fla. Almirola, a Florida native, will be featured in a fan Q & A and then will sign autographs. On Saturday, Nov. 19 from 12 p.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST, Almirola will sign autographs at the JR Nation merchandise hauler, located in the fan concourse area.

WATCH JRM RACING.COM’s VIDEO SERIES – In a continued effort to be at the forefront of web-based content through its website www.jrmracing.com, the team has added a multitude of videos into its video gallery. Click here to view race preview videos, the “JRM 360” series and more.

- JR Motorsports Press Release

Kasey Kahne Does a Victory Donut at PIR

DRIVERS:

AVONDALE, Ariz. — Kasey Kahne left a lovely parting gift, winning the Kobalt Tools 500 for Red Bull Racing Team’s second victory in NASCAR.

“Some of these guys haven’t won before and it felt like I haven’t won,” Kahne said. “It’s been a long season. The guys haven’t given up. We keep getting better as the season goes and it takes time to finish things up and get better when you come to something new. These guys have done an unbelievable job. It feels really good to get Red Bull in victory lane — I just wanted to win for them really bad.”

For Red Bull Racing Team, it was the second victory in the team’s five-year history and first since Brian Vickers won at Michigan in August 2009. For Kahne, the 12th victory of his Sprint Cup career ended an 81-race winless streak dating back to Atlanta in September 2009. It was his first victory and fifth top 10 in 15 races at Phoenix International Raceway.

“It feels so good. Been a long time coming,” said Kahne, the season’s 18th different winner.

Wrapping up a one-year deal in the No. 4 Red Bull Toyota, Kahne has been the pesky fly that won’t go away as the Chase and the championship come down to the final race at Homestead. Last week at Texas, Kahne finished third behind Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards. This week, it was two positions better ahead of Edwards and Stewart, capping a late-season run that has Kahne running right with the championship contenders.

Kahne’s average finish in the nine Chase races is 7.89 — with five top fives — and he’s been the highest-finishing non-Chase driver in five of the past seven events.

“Just not giving up. I think one big thing is working with Kenny,” Kahne said of crew chief Kenny Francis. “That guy, as hard as he works, I want to work as hard and I want to do as much as I can to be up front. I know Keith (Rodden, race engineer) is the same way and all these Red Bull guys are behind him.”

As one of the longest standing driver-crew chief tandems in the Sprint Cup garage, Kahne and Francis are in their sixth season together in 2011. The two have combined for 11 wins, 38 top fives and 12 poles. They also own nonpoints victories in the 2008 All-Star event and 2010 Duels at Daytona.

“Couldn’t be prouder of the shop and Red Bull Racing,” Francis said. “As hard as these guys have worked all year … putting the cars together and building just superb equipment. I’m so proud we could win this. This is the biggest win ever for me, personally.”

The race at Phoenix, with its newly paved and reconfigured surface, came down to fuel mileage. The field pitted under the eighth and final caution period with 92 laps to go, and the race took on a one-more-stop strategy as it went green to the finish.

Kurt Busch stretched his fuel mileage a bit too far and pitted from the lead with 33 laps to go. Edwards assumed first, with Kahne in tow. And they all followed suit: Kahne pitted, Edwards, Stewart and Brad Keselowski. As the exchange cycled through, Kahne picked up about two seconds and found himself in the lead, which he held for the final 14 laps before finishing .802 seconds ahead of Edwards.

“If we didn’t have that little bit of a lead, we wouldn’t have been able to hang on,” Kahne said. “It was big to pop in there early, try to get ahead of Carl and then hang on at that point.

“We fell back a little bit early in the race and then came back and just kept getting it better. It was slippery early, but as the tires built heat and got rubber on the track, the tires came in pretty good. We just made adjustments, made the right adjustments. And the guys, they just kept working, thinking about it and they figured it out after a while. I felt Friday we were one of the best cars and by the end of the race today we were one of the best cars.”

Brian Vickers and Matt Kenseth re-introduced themselves on lap 177, when Vickers’ No. 83 Red Bull Toyota connected with Kenseth’s No. 17 in turn three. Payback for the Martinsville incident, when Kenseth plowed Vickers? “I wasn’t planning on paying him back,” Vickers said. “He wrecked me at Martinsville, he got wrecked here. I’m not saying I wasn’t going to pay him back, I’m just saying that wasn’t it.”

Kenseth got the worst end of it, and the damage was bad enough to drop Vickers to the back of the lead lap. NASCAR then tagged the No. 83 with “too fast exiting” the pits late in the race, and Vickers finished one lap down in 23rd.

After qualifying 19th, 20-year-old Cole Whitt made his Sprint Cup debut in a third Red Bull Racing Team Toyota, the No. 84.

At the start of the race, the Camping World Truck Series rookie called Sunday a “big learning day.” He felt his first tight Sprint Cup car for most of the race, spun on the backstretch just past halfway and fought to get in free-pass position. Welcome to Sprint Cup with a respectable 25th-place finish.

UP NEXT: Homestead 400, Sunday, Nov. 20, Homestead-Miami Speedway, Homestead, Fla.

- Red Bull Racing Team, Press Release

Kasey Kahne celebrates winning the 24th Annual Kobalt Tools 500, his 12th victory in 287 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Last win was Sept. 6, 2009 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This breaks an 81-race winless streak. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship hangs in the balance with one race left in 2011 season

(PHOENIX, Ariz.) – Kasey Kahne claimed his first victory of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season while Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart spent the afternoon in such close proximity at Phoenix International Raceway that they maintained the same three-point margin of their thrilling battle in the tightest Chase in history.

Edwards finished second to Kahne and leads by a trio of points over Stewart, who passed Jeff Burton for third place on the next to last lap. Stewart saved a point for himself by leading the most laps this afternoon.

During post-race interviews, the two drivers sat side-by-side, in similar proximity to their racing fashion during the day. They joked about settling the championship at a dirt track if they finish tied at Homestead-Miami next week in the season’s finale.

“He’s keeping me honest, and I’m keeping him honest,” said Stewart. “A lot can happen in 400 miles next week,” he added.

Proud of his team’s performance, Edwards also agreed the two teams have been terrific competitors: “It’s great to be racing Tony and their team at their best.”

Edwards also complimented PIR’s new racing surface and configuration, saying, “I think once the track sits for awhile, and we come back for the Subway Fresh Fit 500™ (in March) and also a year from now, it will be awesome. I’m a convert.”

Things started quickly in the Kobalt Tools 500 as the “Ragan and Regan Wreck” came on lap 2: David Ragan got badly loose off turn 3 and collected Regan Smith for the race’s first caution. But that was only a prelude to the two top drivers in the Chase posting their car numbers at the top of the scoring pylon. Stewart, who started eighth, passed pole sitter Matt Kenseth for the lead on lap 37, and Edwards took second from Kenseth on lap 50. But A.J. Allmendinger and Kenseth would have more to say about second place as each owned it during the first half of the race behind a dominating Stewart. Meanwhile, Edwards bided his time in the top five.

Running in fifth place, Kenseth slowed badly on laps 173-174 and was tagged from behind by Brian Vickers, the same driver who damaged the chances of the no. 17 Crown Royal Ford recently at Martinsville. Kenseth had to retire his car to the garage for repairs and limped to 34th to end his hopes for the Sprint Cup title. In fact all contenders were eliminated except for Edwards and Stewart. That included Jimmie Johnson, who came home in 14th place; it spelled the end to his team’s remarkable five straight championships since 2006.

Stewart and Edwards were left to duke it out in the top two positions with few threats except from Allmendinger and Kurt Busch. Kyle Busch’s opportunity to win went awry when his engine went sour while he ran in third place on lap 188. Kurt Busch showed the way after a lap 224 restart but lost his engine on the last pit stop almost 60 laps later.

All teams pitted for the last time under green between laps 273 and 298. And it was Kahne who came away with the lead, one he would keep. Stewart had faded slightly, loose on entry to the turns over the closing laps. But, he got around Burton in the late going to save the narrow margin in the Chase.

So, while Kahne celebrated in Gatorade Victory Lane, others were anxious to go to south Florida to settle the championship next week.

About Phoenix International Raceway
Since 1964, Phoenix International Raceway has served race fans as the premier motorsports venue in the Southwest. Be there for the Kobalt Tools 500 on November 13 to watch the brightest stars in NASCAR take on PIR’s brand new one-mile oval in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Tickets for the entire Kobalt Tools 500 weekend at Phoenix International Raceway can be purchased online at PhoenixRaceway.com/Tickets or by calling 1-866-408-RACE (7223). For more, visit PhoenixRaceway.com, Facebook.com/PhoenixRaceway and Twitter.com/PhoenixRaceway.

- Phoenix International Raceway, Press Release

Toyota Motorsports Logo

Kahne led the final 14 laps (of 312) to record his 12th career NSCS victory. It was also the first Sprint Cup Series victory at Phoenix for the Camry.

David Reutimann (seventh) also earned a top-10 result in the race at the one-mile oval.

Cole Whitt (25th) made his first career NSCS start in Sunday’s race. Other Toyota drivers in the field included Joey Logano (11th), Denny Hamlin (12th), Martin Truex Jr. (20th), Bobby Labonte (21st), Brian Vickers (23rd), Casey Mears (26th), Kyle Busch (36th), Michael McDowell (40th) and Joe Nemechek (41st).

KASEY KAHNE, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Finishing Position: 1st

How does it feel to be back in victory lane? “It feels so good. It’s been a long time coming. This whole Red Bull team has done an unbelievable job to keep working hard. Kenny Francis (crew chief) keeps on it — everybody at Red Bull, the car, the Toyota engine. It was a great run today. The guys did an awesome job. We fell back a little bit early and then came back and just kept getting it better. These guys haven’t given up in the last three months. It’s been really cool. It was really, really cool. It was slippery early, but as the tires built heat and got rubber on the track, the Goodyear tires came in pretty good. It ended up being a great race. I’m really excited.”

What has been the reason for your team’s recent resurgence this season? “I think just not giving up. I think one big thing is working with Kenny Francis (crew chief). That guy, as hard as he works, I want to work as hard and I want to do as much as I can to be up front. I know Keith’s (Rodden, engineer) the same way, and all these Red Bull guys are behind him. It’s been really exciting to do that. I want to also say this to my grandma. We lost my great grandpa last week — and it’s for her and my mom. It feels good to win for sure. He was a huge fan — a huge supporter.”

What does this win mean to you and the Red Bull Racing Team? “It means a lot. Some of these guys haven’t won before and it felt like I haven’t won. Kenny (Francis, crew chief) and the whole team that’s been together for a while that’s over at Red Bull, working with the Red Bull guys. It’s been a long season. The guys haven’t given up. We keep getting better as the season goes and it takes time to finish things up and get better when you come to something new. These guys have done an unbelievable job. It feels really good to get Red Bull in victory lane — I just wanted to win for them really bad before the switch. Man, they’ve been a big part of NASCAR. I hope in some way they are still a big part of NASCAR because I know everyone really enjoys them being here.”

Was the pit stop timing your race-winning strategy? “Oh, it definitely did for me. If we didn’t have that little bit of a lead, we wouldn’t have been able to hang on. It was big to pop in there early, try to get ahead of Carl (Edwards) and then hang on at that point.”

How have you put this streak together with the pressure of knowing the team is closing down after the season? “Well, we’re lucky that everybody kept working hard and has stayed after it, preparing great race cars. We’re bringing awesome cars to the track. Brand-new car. I wouldn’t say there’s anyone out there that’s building better cars at this time. The Red Bull guys are doing an awesome job and they haven’t given up It’s tough to hear you say it’s shutting down in eight days. Over the last three months, you have one of the top-five cars in NASCAR shutting down and that’s crazy. I think it’s just the people. They haven’t given up. They’re doing a great job. We’ve been able to stay focused. I love racing. If I’m in a race car, I want to do the best that I can. Kenny Francis has given me some cars in the last few months that we’ve been able to perform with and run with Carl (Edwards) and Tony (Stewart), who have been probably the two best.”

What are your impressions of the new Phoenix race track? “To me, other than the track being slippery, and that’s a hard tire a brand-new surface, it takes time to rubber in, takes time to get old and gritty and things. So, the entry to the c orners are slippery. The car slides a little bit more than you would like. That’s part of this place. It’s actually like that with the old track, too. It’s flat when you turn off the wall. It’s somewhat of a slippery, technical track at times. As the rubber went onto the racetrack, I really think this place is cool and I think it’s only going to get better as time goes on. I think it raced probably the best I can remember a brand-new race surface racing on the first race. I think it’s only going to get better, be a pretty exciting track. I think you’re going to have a lot of the drivers, teams, fans, looking forward to racing at Phoenix, looking forward to coming to Phoenix twice a year.”

What is the difference between your performance the results of your teammate Brian Vickers this year? “I think coming to Red Bull, it was exciting for me. It was something new, a change. I was really looking forward to coming over here and having one strong year here. I’ve been able to work with Kenny (Francis, crew chief) and Keith (Rodden, engineer). We just keep trying to get a little bit better each week. They keep trying to give me things to make me be able to go around the track as fast as I can. I’m not sure how Brian (Vickers) and those guys go at it, but he’s been a great teammate. Ryan Pemberton (No. 83 crew chief) has been great to work with. Always has a ton of enthusiasm. They’re both in victory lane after the race congratulating us. They’re right there in all of our debriefs and things. It’s been a lot of fun working with those guys. Like I said, I was excited to go to Red Bull this year, to be able to have fun and have a good teammate and work with a lot of good people over there. It’s been cool. It’s been a lot of fun.”

KENNY FRANCIS, crew chief, No. 4 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team

How was your view of the race? “From the pit box, the track changed a lot. It wasn’t really surprising. I think everyone knew it was going to do something, we just didn’t know what. Everyone was kind of guessing. We started, went in one direction, then had to turn around and go back in the other direction to get the car to work. All in all we made a lot of adjustments on the car. Actually got it reasonable and pretty fast at the end. So we were pretty happy with it.”

What are your impressions of the new Phoenix race track? “For my part of the question, what kind of information we had to work with. We had the test back in October where we gathered a lot of information, ran a lot of laps here. Kind of got an idea what we thought the car kind of liked as far as the setup, which was different than what we had run here in the past, because we ran good here in the spring here on the old track that was completely different from that. We felt like it was sort of similar to Loudon and we used that kind of as a basis for our thoughts. We raced a different setup than we tested. We raced a different setup than Loudon. You’re thinking in those kind of directions. Once we started the race, we knew the track was going to be a lot different than how we practiced. We knew it was going to change through the day, we just didn’t know what it was going to do. We we re fortunate to be able to adjust correctly and get our car pretty good.”

DAVID REUTIMANN, No. 00 TUMS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Finishing Position: 7th

How was your race? “We had a good race today in the TUMS Toyota. The new layout and surface made things a little interesting, but we qualified in the top-10 and we were able to stay up there all day long. I’m proud of the crew guys for the job they did today. They really stuck with me and turned out some great pit stops. And, I have to thank Pat Tryson (interim crew chief) for stepping in to help us out — he called a great race today. This team is capable of racing like this all the time, but for one reason or another we just haven’t shown it much this year. This is a great group of guys! Probably one of the best in the garage and they have been with me a long time. We have one more week together and I was to go out on a high note at Homestead.”

JOEY LOGANO, No. 20 Home Depot Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 11th

DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Freight Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 12th

What are your thoughts on the race track? “Nobody could pass anyone — so it was really, really difficult from that aspect. We did the best that we could with what we had. We just missed the set-up pretty bad today. We just didn’t run that well.”

Was there a problem with the front end of your race car after the race? “(I) was running in off that apron. Just trying to get a look and see if it bent the splitter or anything. It looks like it just got side skirts and that was about it.”

MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 56 NAPA AUTO PARTS Toyota Camry, Michael Waltrip Racing Finishing Position: 20th

BOBBY LABONTE, No. 47 Wounded Warrior Project Toyota Camry, JTG-Daugherty Racing Finishing Position: 21st

BRIAN VICKERS, No. 83 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Finishing Position: 23rd

COLE WHITT, No. 84 Red Bull Toyota Camry, Red Bull Racing Team Finishing Position: 25th

CASEY MEARS, No. 13 GEICO Toyota Camry, Germain Racing Finishing Position: 26th

KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing Finishing Position: 36th

Did you have any warning that something was wrong with your race car? “No, no indication this time, just a catastrophic failure. Just really, really unfortunate, too. These guys work their butts off two weeks in a row — all season long. It’s just devastating. To go through turmoil like this, all you can do is group together and pull through it and try to persevere and move on. We have one more chance, one more opportunity next week to win a race before the year is out to end it on a high note. Look forward to next year with everything going on. Can’t say enough about all these guys on this Interstate Batteries team this weekend, too. Changing the engine, starting behind, coming through, how to worry about qualifying and just getting in the show. All the way to third, you know, we had a shot. We were there. It’s unfortunate that we weren’t able to finish the race today.”

What happened to your race car? “Catastrophic engine failure. It’s terrible to have one in a weekend, let alone two in a weekend. I can’t say enough about this whole team. All these Interstate Batteries guys do such a phenomenal job and you know, it’s times like these where you feel like you’re down in the dumps and all you can do is try to pull together, persevere and move on through it. It’s certainly a tough few weeks and all we can do is look forward to next week at Homestead. It’s the season finale, but it’s a great opportunity for us to go out there and win a race in the final outing and get ready to build upon for 2012. Again, I hate it for these guys. They just don’t deserve this. All we can do is work forward.”

How did the track evolve during the race? “It’s slick. Man, you’re on tip-toes all the time. It’s tough, it’s very tough but some of us make it look easy, but it might be because we’re all considered the best in the business. Again, that’s a great point. I can’t say enough about my guys for giving me a great race car, too. We were up to third, we battled through the field and up from the back pack. We were running third there behind the 14 (Tony Stewart) and 99 (Carl Edwards) — the two championship contenders — we were right there with those guys having our own story battling out front and possibly having a shot for the win, which meant a lot to these guys.”

MICHAEL MCDOWELL, No. 66 HP Racing, LLC Toyota Camry, HP Racing Finishing Position: 40th

JOE NEMECHEK, No. 87 NEMCO Motorsports Camry, NEMCO Motorsports Finishing Position: 41st

- Toyota Motorsports, Press Release

Kasey Kahne celebrates winning the 24th Annual Kobalt Tools 500, his 12th victory in 287 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Last win was Sept. 6, 2009 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. This breaks an 81-race winless streak. - Photo Credit: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR

Kahne, who broke a 81-race winless streak, received his 1st series win of the 2011 season, his 12th series career win and his first series win at Phoenix International Raceway.

With Edwards finishing in second and Stewart third (and leading the most laps) brings the two drivers coming to the final race of the season (Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway) with the same 3-point deficit for Stewart, and the battle for the championship coming down to the two of them (all others have been eliminated).

Following Kahne, Edwards and Stewart was Jeff Burton finishing in the fourth position, Ryan Newman finishing fifth, AJ Allmendinger sixth, David Reutimann seventh, Marcos Ambrose eighth, Paul Menard ninth and Clint Bowyer rounds out the top-ten finishing positions.

RACE NOTES:

Average Speed: 112.918 MPH
Time of Race: 2 Hrs, 45 Mins, 47 Secs.
Margin of Victory: 0.802 Seconds
Lead Changes: 14 among 7 drivers
Cautions: 8 for 30 laps
Attendance: 85,000

Unofficial Top-Twelve in the Points Standings: 1. Carl Edwards – 2359 (Leader) 2. Tony Stewart – 2356 (-3 Points Behind the Leader) 3. Kevin Harvick – 2308 (-51) 4. Brad Keselowski – 2294 (-65) 5. Jimmie Johnson – 2291 (-68) 6. Matt Kenseth –  2289 (-70) 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. – 2257 (-102) 8. Kurt Busch – 2252 (-107) 9. Ryan Newman – 2252 (-107) 10. Denny Hamlin – 2249 (-110) 11. Jeff Gordon – 2247 (-112) 12. Kyle Busch – 2224 (-135).

Next Up: The final race of the season with the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 20th, with ESPN beginning their (pre-race) television coverage at 2:00 PM (ET).

2011 NSCS Kobalt Tools 500(k) Race Results

(i) Ineligible for Points in this Series
# Denotes Rookie