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‘Race To The Chase’ Begins At New Hampshire
Jun 23rd
Here we go.
The 10-race stretch that begins Sunday at
New Hampshire Motor Speedway — ‘The Race to
the Chase’ — is the crucible through which all NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series title contenders must pass.
It begins with Sunday’s LENOX Industrial
Tools 301 in the New England countryside and
ends 10 weeks later in the mid-Atlantic, under Richmond
International Raceway’s lights.
Following the latter event — race No. 26, or
‘the cutoff race’ — the top 12 drivers in the standings
will participate in the Chase for the NASCAR
Sprint Cup.
But they’ll earn those berths during the ‘Race
to the Chase.’
Ten races at 10 different tracks means weekly
challenges. Drivers who respond become Chase
material while those who don’t, find the 12th and
last Chase-eligible position slipping from sight.
The hurdles include such traditional schedule
stalwarts as the Fourth of July holiday weekend at
high-banked, 2.5-mile Daytona International
Speedway, and the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis
Motor Speedway, also 2.5 miles in length and
equally demanding as a flat, narrow rectangle.
Add short-track battles at .533-mile Bristol
Motor Speedway and .75-mile Richmond, a 2.45-
mile road course in Watkins Glen International, a
pair of speedy 1.5-mile tri-ovals in Chicagoland
Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway, then
Michigan International Speedway’s wide, 2-mile layout and Pocono Raceway’s triangular surface with its
three distinct turns and long straightaways — and variety becomes dizzying.
And dramatic. Half of the Race to the Chase — Daytona, Chicagoland, Bristol, Atlanta and Richmond —
takes place under the lights.
Fortunes can change very quickly. Two 2009 Chase participants, Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Budweiser
Ford) and Brian Vickers (No. 83 Red Bull Toyota) — lurked outside the top 12 after 16 races last year.
Both bulled their way in during the Race to the Chase — Kahne from 13th and Vickers from 17th.
The standard, since the Chase’s 2004 introduction, remains Matt Kenseth’s (No. 17 Crown Royal
Black Ford) ascent from 20th place in 2005, to Chase eligibility following the 2005 Race to the Chase. He
climbed 11 spots over the course of those 10 races to begin the 2005 Chase in ninth place.
“That’s really all we want is to win races and make the Chase,” said Kahne, who begins the 2010 Race
to the Chase in 18th place, 151 points out of 12th. “It’s all you think about when it comes to NASCAR as a
driver, so that’s still what we’re shooting for. We need to throw down some big races for awhile if we want to
make it, but it’s definitely possible.”
Payne looking for all-around success this weekend
Jun 19th
BRISTOL, Tenn. (July 18) — Jay Payne has made all the right moves in the FireIce Ford Mustang Pro Mod car on Fridays and Saturdays. Sundays have been a frustrating other matter.
Payne has qualified No. 1 or 2 in every race except one this season, and is one of two drivers to qualify for every race this season. Heading into the June 18-20 Get Screened Amercia Pro Mod Series race at the Thunder Valley Nationals, Payne is hoping to turn his luck in eliminations around.
“We’ve had a good racecar,” Payne said. “It was really balanced in the class early on but now Von (Smith) is showing us the way. We can run with him, which is encouraging. We just haven’t put it all together yet on race day.”
Win or lose, Payne know he will have plenty of support in Thunder Valley. This weekend Payne is racing for the Grassy Fork (Tenn.) Fire Department. Grassy Fork is located 100 miles southwest of Bristol Motor Speedway.
“Representing FireIce and 1.1 million firefighters is about the coolest thing I’ve ever done in racing,” Payne said. “When these guys and gals come up to you and shake your hand and say ‘thanks’ it just humbles you.
“It should be the rest of us saying ‘thanks’ to them but they’re all so excited about this racecar. I make the turn at the top end and the local firefighters always come over and talk to me. Then we have guests come visit. It’s been awesome.”
Michael Cordani, CEO of GelTech Solutions, which is the parent company of Payne’s sponsor, FireIce, said they couldn’t have asked for a better partner.
“Jay Payne and Brad Anderson are wonderful ambassadors for FireIce,” Cordani said. “We couldn’t ask for a better team to be associated with. These guys are winners, and even more importantly, they’re good people.”
“Jay Payne and Brad Anderson are wonderful ambassadors for FireIce,” Cordani said. “We couldn’t ask for a better team to be associated with. These guys are winners, and even more importantly, they’re good people.”
FireIce is an environmentally friendly fire suppression gel firefighters add to water in pumper trucks, helicopters, fire planes, and handheld extinguishers to help extinguish fires much quicker than with water alone. Aside from supporting Payne’s racing efforts, GelTech, a publicly traded corporation (OTCBB: GLTC), is a corporate partner to the Fallen Firefighters Foundation, which helps firefighters in need.
Payne also knows he’s in for a welcoming experience at Bristol Dragway.
“It’s a great racetrack, a great facility,” Payne said. “Anything Bruton Smith owns is first rate. He makes you feel special and his staff is always great to work with. It means a lot to the racers.”