you want to know who’s going to make this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup, look no further than the results of Sunday’s Samsung 500. Those finishing in the top 12 have about a 70 percent chance of making the Chase, or at least that’s what history tells us.
Since the Chase format was introduced in 2004, an average of seven out of 10 drivers who wound up making the playoffs finished in the top 10 at Texas Motor Speedway. The number jumps to nine of 12 since NASCAR expanded the field in 2007 to include a dozen drivers.
It’s an interesting statistic, but why is Texas such a good barometer of things to come? … Details and Video
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There are only two tracks currently on the Sprint Cup schedule where Jeff Gordon hasn’t won. Texas Motor Speedway is one of them.
This doesn’t mean the four-time Cup champion can’t break his 47-race winless streak in this weekend’s Samsung 500. His record at TMS is actually quite good, with eight top 10s, including six top fives, in just 13 starts at the 1.5-mile track on the outskirts of Dallas. And he will start second.
What is in question when it comes to Gordon these days is … Details and Video
FORT WORTH, Texas — David Reutimann recently dubbed himself “The Franchise” at Michael Waltrip Racing, a tongue-in-cheek reference to his growing confidence and improving performance in NASCAR’s Cup Series.
On Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, Reutimann backed up the franchise tag with a pole-winning performance at the 1.5-mile high-speed intermediate track, turning a lap in 28.344 seconds (190.517 mph) to edge Cup points leader Jeff Gordon (190.194 mph) for the top starting spot in Sunday’s Samsung 500… Details
The exchange on the radio between frustrated Kurt Busch and car owner Roger Penske was far from cordial.
While neither resorted to yelling, their back-and-forth made it clear neither was too pleased with the other at that moment. But that was last week, during another long day on a short track.
“Roger and I are definitely on the same page, and I have the utmost respect for him,†Busch said Friday. “In the heat of battle, sometimes things are said that aren’t exactly the right thing to say. … That’s behind us.  Details