NASCAR announces changes to reduce downforce at Sprint All-Star Race

In a Monday morning post on NASCAR.com, aerodynamic changes were announced for Saturday’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

NASCAR senior vice president of innovation and racing development Gene Stefanyshyn told NASCAR.com that there will be tweaks in three areas: the truck trailing arm, a limit on cooling fans and the toe alignment of the rear wheels.

Sprint Cup teams have been required to weld truck trailing arm mounting brackets since the May 7 race at Kansas Speedway, and that rule will remain in effect through the rest of the 2016 season. The change limits how cars can move.

Stefanyshyn told NASCAR.com that fans were creating more downforce, and that preventing teams from having too many would reduce the aerodynamic impact and save costs.

Stefanyshyn said the toe alignment changes would prevent teams from using “skew” to slant the cars and gain sideforce. It also should cause a 3 mph decrease in Charlotte corner speeds, which some drivers have lobbied for reducing.

NASCAR reduced downforce by 900 pounds with its 2016 rules package, Stefanyshyn said. He estimated teams have regained about 100 to 200 pounds since the season began.

Stefanyshyn said a Goodyear tire test Tuesday at Michiagn International Speedway would test the new changes and also evaluate potential changes for 2017. NASCAR.com reported that Austin Dillon, Kyle Larson, Aric Almirola and Martin Truex Jr. will test at Michigan.

Dover results: Matt Kenseth finally triumphs, staves off furious charge by Kyle Larson

Matt Kenseth scored his third victory at Dover International Speedway, winning the AAA 400 Drive for Autism to secure a provisional berth in the Sprint Cup playoffs.

Kyle Larson, who led 85 laps, finished second, followed by Chase Elliott, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch.

Kenseth, who had several near-misses at wins this season starting with losing the lead of the Daytona 500 in the final corner, held off several furious charges by Larson for his 37th career victory in NASCAR’s premier series. It was the seventh victory in 12 races this year for Joe Gibbs Racing, which has reached victory lane with all four of its drivers (Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards).

The results:

Elliott among top five vote-getters for Sprint All-Star Race; polls still open

CONCORD, N.C. -- On the heels of his seventh top-10 finish in 11 races this season, Chase Elliott was announced as one of the top five vote-getters in the Sprint Fan Vote.

Elliott is one of 25 drivers vying for an opportunity to race in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race via fan vote -- and the polls are still open.

The current top five -- in alphabetical order -- are Ryan Blaney, Matt DiBenedetto, Elliott, Kyle Larson and Danica Patrick.

The leader in the Rookie of the Year points standings, Elliott's seven top-10 finishes lead all fan-vote contenders. In fact, only four drivers have earned more top-10s this season, and three of them are former Sprint Cup champions.

Elliott's seven are tied with teammate Jimmie Johnson for the most top-10s through the first 11 races of a rookie season.

The youngest Daytona 500 pole-winner in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series history, Elliott's 85.9 driver rating ranks higher than any of his fellow fan-vote contenders.

Elliott's Hendrick Motorsports teammates Kasey Kahne, Jimmie Johnson and Dale Earnhardt Jr. have already secured their spots in the event. Johnson and Earnhardt qualify as race-winners from the past two seasons, while Kahne makes the field thanks to winning the All-Star Race in 2008.

Fans can #VoteChase to see all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers compete for a chance to win the $1 million All-Star Race purse.

Voting closes on Friday, May 20, and fans can vote once a day until then. Votes shared via Facebook or Twitter will count double toward a driver's total. When you share your vote, make sure to use the hashtag #VoteChase to join the conversation.

Martin Truex Jr. discusses launch of SherryStrong.org

During his media availability Friday at Dover International Speedway, Martin Truex Jr. took time to address the latest venture of girlfriend Sherry Pollex.

Earlier this week on her 37th birthday, Pollex launched SherryStrong.org, a website dedicated to the awareness of Ovarian cancer.

Pollex, who has been with Truex since 2005, was diagnosed with Stage III Ovarian cancer in 2014 and battled the illness for 17 months before celebrating her last round of chemotherapy in January.

The website, which is decorated in the color teal, has multiple sections devoted to ways to stay healthy while living with the illness.

“Sherry is really excited about it, it’s really interactive and there’s going to be some things to help women understand what she dealt with and how to deal with it,” Truex said.”The OVA1 test is something that she’s really trying to get the word out about. Not a lot of people know about it and it’s an early detection test for ovarian cancer, it’s very important for women.”

The website is the latest effort by Pollex to spread the word about ovarian cancer and awareness of ways to raise money for research into it. Last July, Pollex addressed Congress while representing the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance.

Pollex tweeted Friday that she will be speaking at an Ovarian cancer conference in Washington, D.C.

The Martin Truex Jr. Foundation is also behind the annual Catwalk for a Cause, an event that raises money for the Levine Children’s Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“She’s the kind of person that thinks of others no matter what situation she’s in and this is no different,” Truex said. “She’s been working hard on (the website) for quite a while and this is something she’s really proud of. It will be interesting to see how many people she can help and hopefully really change the dynamic of how women are diagnosed.”

Last September in the Southern 500, the decals on Truex’s No. 78 car were teal colored in order to raise awareness about Ovarian cancer.

“Hopefully someday the teal ribbons will be out there in September and we’ll get the word out and spread the message,” Truex said. “Hopefully no one will have to go through what she did.”

At race’s end, Joey Logano doesn’t want to be a ‘hypocrite’

                                

Joey Logano doesn’t want to be that guy.

The Team Penske driver wants to avoid criticizing another driver’s bold, late-race move that causes an accident, only to turn around and make a similar choice that results in an equal or worse outcome.

Logano’s declaration comes a week after a move by Denny Hamlin with 26 laps left at Kansas Speedway took Logano, Hamlin andKyle Larson out of the race.

“I feel like I am one of the hardest racers out there, and I would be quite the hypocrite if I asked why (Hamlin) was racing so hard,” Logano said Friday at Dover International Speedway. “If you ask me, that is what fans show up to the racetrack to see. They come to watch a race. They expect us to race. They don’t expect us to just say, ‘Oh, go ahead.’ They expect us to race and that is what they pay money to see. I am going to race hard. I know that.”

Logano said he doesn’t blame Hamlin for making the move, which spun Hamlin and Logano’s teammate, Brad Keselowski. The smoke from both blinded Logano, who plowed into Hamlin’s driver-side door. Kyle Larson was also involved.

Hamlin is already qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup thanks to his Daytona 500 win. Logano, who is seventh in the points, has yet to win. He starts 22nd Sunday at Dover.

“We are racing and these things are hard to drive,” Logano said. “We are going to make mistakes. There is a win on the line and it is a big deal. It is hard to do at the Sprint Cup level, and anytime you have a shot it is expected out of us, not just from the fans but from the teams, to go out and make the most of it and make it happen. When I look at Denny’s move, I would do the same thing if I was him, so I don’t really have any room to speak.”

Logano learned an aggressive driving style benefitted him after he only won three races in his first five full Sprint Cup seasons.

“I figured out what works for me, and I kind of found that technique and what that is for me to be able to race,” Logano said. “Some moves like that early in the race and you may say, ‘Why did you do that?’ But the fact of the matter is with 30 (laps) to go, you gotta race. That is part of it.”

Logano noted that many races have been won by a driver in a weaker car making “spectacular moves and gutsy calls” at the right time on the track or pit road.

“That aggressive look at things sometimes goes wrong but sometimes goes really right and you have a fifth or sixth-place car win the race,” Logano said. “I think it is entertaining. Is there more than one way to win a race? Of course there is. That is why you have to change your approach to each track and each race and scenario depending on what you have that day.”

NASCAR’s Saturday schedule at Dover International Speedway

Today’s schedule at Dover International Speedway includes the third round of the Xfinity Series’ Dash 4 Cash competition in the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200.

The Sprint Cup Series also has two rounds of practice for Sunday’s AAA 400 Drive for Autism.

Here’s the complete schedule for today, including TV and radio information.

All times are Eastern.

7:30 a.m. – Xfinity Series garage opens

7:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. – Sprint Cup garage open

9:30 – 10:25 a.m. – Sprint Cup practice (FS1, MRN)

10:45 a.m. – Xfinity Series qualifying; multi-car/three rounds (FS1)

12:15 p.m. – Xfinity Series driver-crew chief meeting

12:30 – 1:25 p.m. – Sprint Cup final practice (FS2, MRN)

1:35 p.m. – Xfinity Xfinity Series driver introductions

2 p.m. – Xfinity Series Heat No. 1; 40 laps/40 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

2:50 p.m. Approx. – Xfinity Series Heat No. 2; 40 laps/40 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

3:30 p.m. Approx. – Xfinity Series Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200 Main; 120 laps/120 miles (Fox, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio)

Today’s Xfinity race at Dover: Start time, weather, radio & TV info

The NASCAR Xfinity Series competes today at Dover International Speedway in the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet 200.

Here’s what you need to know about the race:

(All times are Eastern)

START: Dan Haines, vice president of marketing and advertising for Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, will give the command to start engines approximately 15 minutes after the completion of the second heat race. The green flag is scheduled to wave seven minutes after the command.

DISTANCE: The race is 120 laps (120 miles) around the 1-mile track.

HEAT RACES: The first heat race is scheduled to take the green flag at 2:25 p.m. The second heat race is scheduled to take the green flag 17 minutes after the completion of the first heat race. Both heat races are 40 laps.

PRERACE SCHEDULE: The Xfinity Garage opens at 7:30 a.m. The driver/crew chief meeting is at 12:15 p.m. Driver introductions are at 1:40 p.m.

NATIONAL ANTHEM: Nashville recording artist Tim Dixon will perform the anthem at 2:11 p.m.

TV/RADIO: Fox will broadcast the race with its coverage beginning at 2 p.m. Motor Racing Network’s broadcast on radio and at MRN.com, begins at 1:30 p.m. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the MRN broadcast.

FORECAST: wunderground.com predicts a temperature of 73 degrees and a 15 percent chance of rain at race time.

LAST TIME: Regan Smith led the final 80 laps to win last October. Denny Hamlin was second with Kyle Busch third. Chris Buescher led the final 10 laps to win at Dover last May.Matt Kenseth was second with Regan Smith third.