2014 GoBowling.com 400 at Pocono Raceway Weekend Discussion

[ShadowKnight508]

Discuss the 2014 GoBowling.com 400 race weekend here. While the Nationwide Series heads back to the confines of Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa, the Camping World Truck Series and Sprint Cup Series head off to the tricky triangle known as Pocono Raceway for their respective races. In 2013, Kasey Kahne took his #5 Farmers Insurance Chevy SS to victory lane after holding off Jeff Gordon and Kurt Busch down the stretch. Race weekend info, TV listings, and entry lists below credit to Jayski:

Race Weekend Schedule (CWTS/Sprint Cup @ Pocono)

Thursday, July 31
6:00 PM NSCS HAULERS ENTER

Friday, August 1
6:00 AM NSCS GARAGE OPENS & INSPECTION BEGINS
9:30 AM 10:50 AM Pocono Mountains 150 PRACTICE
10:00 AM NSCS ROOKIE & SPOTTER MEETINGS & RANDOM DRAWING
11:00 AM - 12:20 PM GoBowling.com 400 PRACTICE (FS1)
2:30 PM 3:25 PM Pocono Mountains 150 FINAL PRACTICE
3:40 PM GoBowling.com 400 QUALIFYING (FS1)
6:00 PM NSCS GARAGE CLOSES

Saturday, August 2
7:00 AM NSCS GARAGE OPENS
9:00 - 9:50 AM GoBowling.com 400 PRACTICE (ESPN2)
10:10 AM Pocono Mountains 150 QUALIFYING (FS1)
11:30 AM - 12:20 PM GoBowling.com 400 FINAL PRACTICE (ESPN2)
1:00 PM 2014 Pocono Mountains 150 (FS1)
3:00 PM NSCS GARAGE CLOSES

Sunday, August 3
7:00 AM NSCS GARAGE OPENS
11:00 AM NSCS DRIVER / CREW CHIEF MEETING
12:30 PM NSCS DRIVERS INTRODUCTION
1:00 PM 2014 GoBowling.com 400 (ESPN)

Race Weekend Schedule (Nationwide @ Iowa)

Friday, August 1st
8:30 AM NNS HAULERS ENTER
10:00 AM NNS REGISTRATION OPENS
10:30 AM NNS GARAGE OPENS & INSPECTION BEGINS
2:30 PM NNS ROOKIE & SPOTTER'S MEETING & RANDOM DRAWING
3:30 PM-4:50 PM U.S. Cellular 250 PRACTICE
6:00 PM-7:20 PM U.S. Cellular 250 FINAL PRACTICE
7:00 PM NNS REGISTRATION CLOSES
9:00 PM NNS GARAGE CLOSES

Saturday, August 2nd
11:30 AM NNS GARAGE & REGISTRATION OPENS
3:40 PM (4:40 PM/ET) U.S. Cellular 250 QUALIFYING (ESPN)
5:15 PM NNS DRIVER/CREW CHIEF MEETING (DRIVERS MEETING ROOM)
6:30 PM NNS DRIVER INTRODUCTIONS
7:00 PM (8:00 PM/ET) 2014 U.S. Cellular 250 (ESPN)

ALL POSTED TIMES LOCAL TO RESPECTIVE TRACKS!

Entry Lists

2014 Pocono Mountains 150 (32 Drivers)
Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site - Race Info Page

2014 U.S. Cellular 250 (39 Drivers)
Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site - Iowa Nationwide Series Entry List

2014 GoBowling.com 400 (43 Drivers)
Jayski's® NASCAR Silly Season Site - Pocono Entry List

2013 GoBowling.com 400 (Full Race)
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EC08Shgd--k]2013 GoBowling.com 400 - Full Race - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ShadowKnight508]

NASCAR News and Updates (Credit to Jayski):

Greg Ives to Become Dale Jr's New Crew Chief in 2015 After Letarte Departs for NBC

Crew chief Greg Ives will rejoin Hendrick Motorsports following the 2014 NASCAR season to lead the #88 Sprint Cup Series team of driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. Ives, 34, was race engineer for Jimmie Johnson's historic run of five consecutive Sprint Cup championships (2006-2010) with the #48 Hendrick Motorsports team. He will work alongside Johnson's crew chief, Chad Knaus, in the shop shared by the #48 and 88 Chevy SS teams.

"Greg was our number-one choice," said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. "This is a talented guy who already has a terrific rapport with Dale Jr. and is a fit with the organization. He and Chad had a lot of success together, and all of our crew chiefs think the world of him and what he's accomplished. Greg's proven that he can win races, and he has all the tools to do big things."

Since his debut as a crew chief for JR Motorsports in 2013, Ives has won five NASCAR Nationwide Series races including three this season with rookie and current points leader Chase Elliott.

A native of Bark River, Michigan, and graduate of Michigan Technological University, Ives joined Hendrick Motorsports as a mechanic in 2004 before moving into an engineering role on the #48 team in 2006. In seven years working with Knaus, he contributed to 42 wins, 113 top-five finishes and 21 pole positions in the Sprint Cup Series. In November 2012, Ives transitioned to JR Motorsports as crew chief for driver Regan Smith. The duo won two races and finished third in points in 2013 before Ives was named Elliott's crew chief prior to this season. JR Motorsports works closely with Hendrick Motorsports and is owned by Earnhardt in partnership with Rick Hendrick.

Chase Drivers Will Not Be Allowed to Take Part in Future Goodyear Tire Test at Homestead-Miami Speedway Next Month

NASCAR will not allow championship-eligible drivers to participate in a Goodyear tire test at Homestead-Miami Speedway. But, to ensure fairness, NASCAR will allow all organizations represented in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship to participate in the Aug. 26 test because Homestead is the site of the title-deciding season finale. Teams will have to send a driver not qualified for the Chase to the tire test. The restrictions create a dilemma for Team Penske, which has both #2-Brad Keselowski and #22-Joey Logano already qualified for the Chase. The two-car team does not have another Sprint Cup driver on its roster. Hendrick Motorsports also has three of its four drivers qualified. Should #5-Kasey Kahne qualify for the Chase, Hendrick would have to look outside its immediate organization for a substitute.

Janssen Pharmaceuticals to Sponsor Next Chicagoland Race, Now Called MyAFibStory.com 400

Chicagoland Speedway announced Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., the official cardiovascular partner of NASCAR, as the title sponsor of this year's first Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race. The MyAFibStory.com 400 will take place on Sunday, September 14, 2014 in recognition of National AFib Awareness Month, running throughout September. Atrial Fibrillation, or AFib, is a condition caused by an irregular heartbeat that impacts as many as 2.7 million Americans. AFib increases a person's risk for stroke by up to five times and is the most common serious heart rhythm abnormality in people over the age of 65. Patients with AFib should ensure they talk to their doctor about lowering their risk of stroke and appropriate treatment options. Janssen became involved with NASCAR in an official capacity earlier this year, sponsoring both a NASCAR Nationwide Series Race at Auto Club Speedway and Brian Vickers' #55 Toyota, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sprint Cup ride at the Southern California facility.

 

[AMLNet49]

UPDATE: Johnny Sauter will now drive the #93 for BK Racing

 

[Nitro]

UPDATE: Johnny Sauter will now drive the #93 for BK Racing

Just for Pocono or for the rest of the year?

 

[dalejrgamer]

US Cellular 250 spoilers

Spoiler

BRAD WINS LOL

 

[4WideRacing]

US Cellular 250 spoilers

Spoiler

BRAD WINS LOL

Lol at least there is some good competition for him this year.

 

[dalejrgamer]

Let's be honest, it's either KYLE WINS LOL or (insert Cup driver here) WINS LOL.

The third option only exists when either or both options are unavailable one way or another.

 

[AMLNet49]

Just for Pocono or for the rest of the year?

Just for this week. Ever since Bliss began sideshowing in the Cup car, he has dropped from like 11th to 15th in NNS points. TriStar probably told him to concentrate on his real job, where he is actually racing for actual points. Sauter will S&P the #93.

 

[4WideRacing]

Let's be honest, it's either KYLE WINS LOL or (insert Cup driver here) WINS LOL.

The third option only exists when either or both options are unavailable one way or another.

Regan Smith, Chase Elliott, Ty Dillon, and Trevor Bayne want to talk with you. And I think there have been others, I am sure that there are others that could beat Brad this week. Sam Hornish in the #54 should be tough, Michael McDowell might have a shot in the #20. So on and so on...
That said Brad does have a great chance since he is in the #22

 

[Darren Ingram]

If this race has the same winner as the first Pocono race this year, I'm good.

 

[Sgt Slaughter]

I have no clue why Gibbs keeps putting McDowell in the 20 at Iowa and some RC races...

Anyway, Larson and Elliott should be the guys to beat along with Keselowski and Bayne.

 

[Nitro]

I have no clue why Gibbs keeps putting McDowell in the 20 at Iowa and some RC races?

That's what i was thinking. They must like him or something.

 

[4WideRacing]

That's what i was thinking. They must like him or something.

Maybe pizza ranch likes him. He has had some good runs in the #20.

 

[Gwen Cole]

Brad has a pretty good chance to win in Iowa, but is nowhere near being guaranteed to win. Cup regulars have been outran a couple of times this year.

 

[S. Yogurt]

Brad has a pretty good chance to win in Iowa, but is nowhere near being guaranteed to win. Cup regulars have been outran a couple of times this year.

Including last week

 

[nwt0]

I have no clue why Gibbs keeps putting McDowell in the 20 at Iowa and some RC races...

Anyway, Larson and Elliott should be the guys to beat along with Keselowski and Bayne.

Larson's not running at Iowa.

 

[XxTeam48LowesXx]

Sprint Cup Practice #1 Results:

 

[ShadowKnight508]

NASCAR Delays Goodyear Tire Test at Homestead-Miami to September, After Chase Field Has Been Set (Credit to ESPN):

The Goodyear tire test at Homestead-Miami Speedway has been moved to Sept. 9, when the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field has already been set.

The original test date was Aug. 26. NASCAR said Friday it was moved because too many teams already planned to test that week at Chicago.

It's not been determined yet if Chase drivers will be allowed to test at Homestead, site of the season-ending race that will decide the champion.

NASCAR initially said no Chase drivers could participate in the test, but all organizations represented in the Chase could attend. Teams were told to send a substitute driver instead of a Chase driver.

The restrictions hurt many teams, including Team Penske, which has both of its drivers already qualified for the Chase.

 

[bigrolltide1877]

Well Jimmie bombed qualifying. And that was a crazy save by bowyer.

 

[zaw24fan]

So NASCAR posted the 16 and the 48 for blending onto the track too soon, and after each time, the guys in the booth said if it's illegal during the race, it's illegal during quals.

Danica Patrick goes out first in the final session and takes it straight to the wall. Does not get posted.

I understand she was the first car onto the track, but what happened to "if it's illegal during the race, it's illegal during quals"?

Anyway, excellent lap for Larson snatching the pole. Thankfully he won't have Bowyer behind him to send him spinning in turn 1 on Sunday.