Logano looking forward to Kentucky

To say Joey Logano is excited about Kentucky would be an understatement. Logano is undefeated at the 1.5-mile track in Sparta. Three poles and three wins in NASCAR’s Nationwide Series have made him an easy pick to be the favorite for NASCAR’s first-ever Sprint cup Series race, the Quaker State 400, on Saturday.

“I'd say I've got a little bit of an advantage, but I think a lot of it is going to come down to getting your car good,” Logano said on Tuesday’s NASCAR teleconference. “I think my big advantage that I have is I just know what I need to make the car go faster. I know what I need when the race starts and all that. I think that's an advantage that I might have there.”

Logano at the tire test on June 1st

Logano still considers his first win in 2008 as his favorite Kentucky Speedway win.

“It was really, really big,” Logano said. “I felt like that was one of those key moments in my career that was able to get me into my Sprint Cup ride that I have now. You see some guys that are able to win a race pretty quick like that, they get people thinking about you and moving you up pretty quick.”

And Logano mentioned that moving up the track will be a common theme for the Cup guys this weekend.

“I'm real interested in seeing the race, how much higher [the line] goes,” he said. “Every Nationwide race that we've run there has gotten to about the second lane, second and a half lane. I think these Cup cars are going to move up quite a bit further than that once it rubbers up.”

Logano at the tire test

Logano participated in the Goodyear tire test on June 1st at the track, but knows even though he’s got a ton of experience at Kentucky, the guys he races with in the Sprint Cup Series are the best of the best.

“They're going to know what they need and they're going to know how to make speed pretty damn quick out there,” Logano said of his competitors, some of whom have never raced at Kentucky.

When Logano burst onto the Cup scene in 2009, he took over for two-time Cup champ Tony Stewart in the famed No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing. Even though Logano was dubbed “Sliced Bread” by some (as in, the best thing since) he had some growing pains as a rookie at NASCAR’s highest level.

“I always say all 43 drivers in the Sprint Cup Series were really, really good in whatever they did growing up,” the 21-year-old Middletwon, Conn., native said. “They were the best of the best in whatever series they were in. Now we're all racing against each other, you know, so it doesn't get any better than that. So it's the best race car drivers in the United States for sure that are all running against each other, and it's tough for sure.

“But when you win against these guys, it means that much more.”

And Logano wants nothing more than to win twice this weekend in Kentucky.

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Race prep has begun in Kentucky and I’ll have more tomorrow from the Speedway. Check out the special section on FOX19.com where I’ll be contributing videos and photographs all week long: http://www.fox19.com/category/215363/nascar-sprint-cup-quaker-state-400-at-kentucky-speedway

My Guide to Kentucky Speedway’s Quaker State 400 weekend

A view of Kentucky Speedway during the June 1st Goodyear tire test

I’ve done this before, but I’ve never done this before. I’ve been to ten Brickyard 400 weekends, and that is the pinnacle of the year for me. It’s like Christmas for me, but as I’ve said, this year is like having two Christmases.

I’ve had all access pit passes for the past two years down at Kentucky Speedway for the NASCAR Nationwide Series race. It’s a pretty big deal, but nothing like what will happen on Saturday night when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series takes to Kentucky for the first time.

Here’s a guide to some of the events this weekend, and what I suggest you take in. For Kentucky Speedway’s full schedule from their website, check this page: http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com/fans/fan-guide.aspx

Wednesday

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice 4-5 p.m.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Practice 6-7 p.m.

Mark Martin driving through turn three during the Goodyear tire test that was closed to the public. Kentucky Speedway opened up a viewing area in turn three for the test. No word if they'll do the same for the Wednesday evening Truck practices.

Both of these practices are closed to the public. So, there’s not a whole lot you can do. The June 1st Goodyear tire test was also closed to the public but the Speedway opened up a section of grass outside the track’s offices in turn three. Maybe that’s the option for you to get your fill of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series practice.

Also on Wednesday, around 7 p.m., the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series haulers will begin to arrive at Kentucky, according to a preliminary schedule I saw a week ago. If you want to see history, check out the hauler parade for the first-time in Kentucky Speedway’s history.

Thursday

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Final Practice 10:00 a.m.

This is the only chance for fans to see the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in action from the stands before the Thursday night race.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Testing 11:05 a.m.

History is made when one driver pulls out onto the pavement at Kentucky Speedway and turns the first practice lap for the Sprint Cup Series. Drivers like five-time defending Sprint Cup champ Jimmie Johnson, NASCAR’s most popular driver Dale Earnhardt Jr., Columbus, Ind. native Tony Stewart, Owensboro, Kentucky’s Michael Waltrip, and my personal favorite Mark Martin should all turn laps in this practice session.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Qualifying 3:05 p.m.

The trucks will turn laps one at a time to set the field for the UNOH 225. Austin Dillon, the grandson of Richard Childress, sits fourth in Truck Series points, and Parker Kilgerman, who won the 2009 ARCA race at Kentucky, is eighth in Truck Series points.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Testing 4:00 p.m.

After a break to break down the data from the morning practice session the big boys will be out on the track again. Jeff Burton said these testing sessions are important for the teams who have no data on the track. “Kentucky is a race that might help us get jump started because it’s going to be our first opportunity to sit down and analyze data, really sit down and understand what our car is doing and what I’m doing different as a driver, to really help us improve. I think it’s going to be very beneficial,” Burton said in a teleconference on Wednesday.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice 6:10 p.m.

Nationwide Series regulars like Aric Almirola and Elliott Sadler will practice against Cup Series drivers like Mark Martin, Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne and three-time defending race winner Joey Logano, trying to dial their cars in to bring Logano’s dominance at Kentucky to a halt.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Driver Introductions 7:35 p.m.

NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Race "UNOH 225" 8:00 p.m.

Kentucky Speedway image

It’s the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series getting the weekend of speed at Kentucky started with the 150-lap, 225-mile UNOH 225, sponsored by the University of Northwestern Ohio. Johnny Sauter leads the Truck Series points, but lurking in third is Ron Hornaday, who won the 2009 Truck Series race at Kentucky.

Friday

NASCAR Nationwide Final Practice 9:00 a.m.

One last chance for the Nationwide Series guys and possibly gals (I have yet to see an entry list, but I believe Jennifer Jo Cobb will attempt to run—Danica is not, to my knowledge) to get their cars in tune for the Friday evening race. Look for Joey Logano and Kyle Busch to top the speed charts in this session.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice 11:30 a.m.

The third of four Sprint Cup Series practices. Somewhere in this two-day set of practice sessions, Sprint cup teams will be testing the new fuel-injection systems that NASCAR wants to use next season.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice 1:30 p.m.

Final practice, aka “Happy Hour” will be the final chance to see the Sprint Cup cars drive around the track in Sparta en masse before the Quaker State 400. By this time fans will be able to see who is handling well and which drivers are going to be the ones to watch come Saturday night.

Mark Martin will drive the No. 5 Quaker State Chevy at Kentucky (Photo from Kentucky Speedway)

NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying 3:40p.m.

Joey Logano has won three consecutive poles for the Nationwide Series race in Kentucky. It would surprise no one to see Logano’s No. 20 Toyota turn the fastest lap in this qualifying session.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Qualifying 5:10 p.m.

The record books will be written and rewritten all weekend. Who will ink his name as the first polesitter in Kentucky Speedway’s Sprint Cup history? One by one the Cup guys will head out onto the track to decide who gets the inaugural pole for the inaugural Quaker State 400.

NASCAR Nationwide Series Driver Introduction 7:00 p.m.

Image from Kentucky Speedway

NASCAR Nationwide Series Race "Feed The Children 300" 8:00 p.m.

Can anyone stop Joey Logano at Kentucky in the Nationwide Series? In the 200-lap Feed the Children 300, we will all find out. If I was a betting man, though, it would be tough to bet against the youngster, who, by the way, won on Friday night in Daytona.

And could more history be made at Kentucky in the Nationwide Series? If Mark Martin wins in the No. 32 Turner Motorsports car he will extend his Series career wins lead over Kyle Busch. It will also be Martin’s 50th win in the Series formerly known as the Busch Series. If Busch wins, he’ll tie Martin for the most wins all time in the second-tier Series.

Saturday

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver Introductions 7:00 p.m.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race "Quaker State 400" 8:00 p.m.

This is it. “History Starts Now,” has been the campaign for Kentucky Speedway, and history comes to fruition on Saturday night.

The Quaker State 400 image (from Kentucky Speedway)

“When 43 cars start up and every one of them has over 800 horsepower and they’re going around there reaching top speeds of over 200 miles per hour, it’s just something you can’t describe unless you’ve seen it, heard it and felt it,” said Jeff Burton last week.

Let’s get it started.

“There’s only one first race and you can only win it once,” said Tony Stewart.

Who will win and how will it affect the Chase standings? Will Joey Logano’s Nationwide success carry over to the Cup Series? We’ll find out in six days.

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Remember, if you’re going to Kentucky, this is just a short preview. Also, if you’re coming on down to Kentucky, let me know! Tweet at me (@adamniemeyer) or leave me a comment here (which in turn e-mails me). I’d love to meet up with some readers and get their thoughts on the first-ever Cup Series weekend at Kentucky.

Markaholics reading this, feel free to PM me on the message board, or leave a comment in the threads I have created.

Mark Martin wins 50th career pole at Daytona

“This could be one of those memories, We want to hold on to, cling to, one we can’t forget… What if this was that moment, That chance worth taking, History in the making”—lyrics from Darius Rucker’s “History in the Making”

Pole No. 50 (Getty Images for NASCAR)

Even though he’s never won at Daytona, Mark Martin has been pretty quick in qualifying at the track located 15 miles from where he lives in Florida.

Martin's No. 5 during his qualifying run on Friday (Getty Images for NASCAR)

He became the oldest polesitter in track history when he won the pole for the 2010 Daytona 500 at age 51. And he broke that record on Friday afternoon by turning a lap of just over 182 mph to knock 2011 Daytona 500 champ Trevor Bayne off the pole.

“I really didn't expect to get the pole,” said the ever-humble Martin. “When I ran it could have been first or 21st. I had no idea. They didn't tell me what my first lap was, that it was actually the quickest of the first laps so I had no idea. You just go out and do your thing.”

Martin climbs from his car after capturing his 50th career pole (Getty Images for NASCAR)

Not bad for an old guy. And there’s some more good news for Martin: the past two July races at Daytona have been won from the pole.

Like I said earlier in the week, this could be a month of firsts for Mr. Martin. A first win at Daytona, followed seven nights later by a first win at Kentucky followed on July 31 with his first win at Indianapolis, would be an ideal month for NASCAR’s most respected driver.

And a dream for one of his fans: me.

Mark during qualifying (Getty Images for NASCAR)

In a little bit less than seven days the NASCAR Nationwide Series hits the track for the “Feed the Children 300.” Martin will pilot the No. 32 car for Turner Motorsports in that race, which could be renamed the “Joey Logano 300,” since the youngster has won the past three poles and races at the 1.5-mile oval in Kentucky.

And Logano won the Subway Jalapeno 250 on Friday night, so he’s on a roll.

Martin has had a rough time in the past season and a half in Cup after having “the time of his life” in 2009 where Martin and crew chief Alan Gustafson won five times on the way to Martin’s fifth runner-up finish in the points.

And winning at Daytona could jump start his team.

“It would be really, really nice to make the Chase, but I'm not counting the points,” he said after winning his 50th pole in 53 tries at Daytona. “I'm not counting the points that closely. Right now, I am focused on trying to elevate the performance of our team.”

He said the same thing at Indianapolis last year. And he’s honest about it. This is the same man who said he should be fired for qualifying 32nd for a race in 2009 at Michigan. It’s a race that Martin ended up winning.

There are only five tracks Mark Martin has never won at: Daytona, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Pocono and Homestead-Miami. He’s got a chance in the next 29 days to knock off all three. He’s come so close at both Daytona and Indy, but the Batesville, Ark., native remains as humble as ever.

 “I’ve had a chance to race 53 times here. I’ve survived some really hard crashes here and I’ve had some good times here,” Martin said. “I’ve got a lot to be thankful for. The place doesn’t owe me a thing. Matter of fact, I owe the place and the sport a great deal for just letting me be a part of it.”

History is already in the making for Mark Martin with the pole, so why not cap it off with a win? I’d be OK with it, and I’m sure a lot of other fans would be too.

One last fun fact, as provided by NASCAR.com: “Mark Martin is the 12th different pole winner in 17 Cup Series races in 2011.”

As fired up as I am for Kentucky, it’s hard not to be excited about Daytona. Sure Mark Martin has had a rough time at the track, but he was in striking distance to push Tony Stewart to the win in the season’s opener, and he’ll be paired up with Jeff Gordon tomorrow.

Gordon and Martin talk on pit road before qualifying on Friday afternoon (Getty Images for NASCAR)

It should be exciting and I’m darn fired up for it.

Quaker State 400 Coverage: Stewart says Logano “fun to watch” at Kentucky

I’ve made no secret about it: Joey Logano is the favorite to win the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky. Logano, the 21-year-old kid from Middletown, Conn., has owned the past three Nationwide Series races, winning three straight poles and three straight Meijer 300s.

Earlier today I had a chance to ask Tony Stewart his thoughts on the kid who took over for “Smoke” driving the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Stewart walks out of the media center at Indy in 2009

“It’s definitely been fun to watch because Joey (Logano) was somebody that I was really high on and taking my 20 car when we made our decision to switch organizations,” Stewart said.

When Stewart left JGR to become part-owner and driver of his own team, Stewart-Haas Racing, Logano stepped into the highest pressure job in NASCAR, in my opinion. Logano was designated by Mark Martin as good enough at age 15 to take over in the No. 6 when Martin departed Roush Racing full-time in 2006. He was given the nickname “Sliced Bread,” because he was the best thing since.

And at Kentucky, “Sliced Bread” has been nothing but perfect. So perfect that he’s never lost in four tries at Kentucky. “I’m undefeated here. I actually won a legends race here when I was 12. I think I was 12 years old and I won that too, so I’m batting 1000 here,” said Logano during the June 1st Goodyear tire test at Kentucky.

“It’s been fun to watch him there. He’s obviously found something in that track that he likes and it matches his driving style,” said Stewart today.

Logano at Kentucky on June 1st

“It’s one of those things that if you like the racetrack and it suits your driving style, and let’s face it, those Gibbs Nationwide cars won everything in sight, so that doesn’t hurt you on your chances but [Kentucky] just suits his driving style,” said Greg Biffle at the Goodyear test.

Logano has leaned on veterans a lot as he’s made his name in the sport. But this may be the first time drivers like Stewart could take some pointers from Logano instead of the other way around.

“I think he’s somebody that when we go back there next weekend, we’ll definitely be watching for and I’m sure if we get a chance in practice to follow him, we’re going to be trying to figure out what he’s learned that’s made him so successful there,” Stewart said.

“It’s fun. I know it’s going to be a lot of fun for him because he knows that track inside and out and it’s going to be one of those few places that he is going to get a chance to go to where he actually knows more about it than the veterans do.”