Trevor Bayne did it in exciting fashion in the sport’s biggest race. Regan Smith did it in one of the sport’s most history filled events. And David Ragan did it on Saturday night.
Each of these drivers won their first NASCAR Sprint Cup race in 2011. Could a first-time winner grace the winner’s circle at Kentucky in the first-ever Sprint Cup race at the 1.5-mile oval in Sparta, Ky., in the inaugural Quaker State 400?
On May 11th, A.J. Allmendinger visited the speedway to promote Ford’s sponsorship of the track. Allmendinger has never won at NASCAR’s highest level. Could he be the guy to break into Victory Lane at Kentucky?
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| Allmendinger and Kentucky Speedway GM Mark Simendinger |
“I’m excited to get here,” Allmendinger said. “Hopefully we’ll have a couple of wins before we get here but if not, we’ll make this one my first one.”
Allmendinger and his Richard Petty Motorsports teammate, Marcos Ambrose, ran one-two in the only practice for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 at Daytona. Allmendinger finished 10th and Ambrose 17th.
Ambrose was on the doorstep of his first victory last year in Sonoma when his car cut off heading up the hill (Ambrose shut his car off to save fuel) right past the start finish line and wouldn’t refire. Since he didn’t keep his spot in line during the yellow, Ambrose couldn’t restart first, and Jimmie Johnson went on to win the race.
Paul Menard could also break into victory lane at Kentucky to win his first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. So could David Gilliland, who won the 2006 Nationwide Series race in Kentucky. Travis Kvapil, who was a part of the Goodyear tire test on June 1st at Kentucky, might find his way into Victory Lane for the first time too.
It’s highly unlikely that Michael McDowell will win, but he’s also searching for win No. 1 in the Sprint Cup Series.
And a win for Dale Earnhardt Jr. might feel like a first-time win for NASCAR’s most popular driver. He’s now riding a 110-race winless streak in NASCAR’s highest series. Bruton Smith, owner of Kentucky Speedway, and Chairman of Speedway Motorsports Inc., said he’d love to see Earnhardt Jr. in Victory Lane.
No matter what happens, the winner of the Quaker State 400 will put his name down as the first-time winner of the Sprint Cup Series at Kentucky. If this season is any indication, it could be the first time ever in Victory Lane for one NASCAR star.
“I guess if somebody’s got to win the first one,” said Allmendinger in May, “I guess it should be me. I don’t see why not.” It drew some light-hearted laughter. Now that the race is upon us, that laughter turns to determination.
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More Quaker State 400 coverage as the week continues. Tune in to FOX19 this evening to see a chat with Kentucky Speedway GM Mark Simendinger, who will be in the studio this evening. If you’ve got questions, comments, thoughts, ideas or anything else related to the Quaker State 400, Feed the Children 300 or UNOH 225, leave me a comment below. Thanks for reading.
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