NNS Pole Report: Austin Dillon captures the pole at Charlotte

Credit: Debbie Ross: For Skirts and Scuffs

After a few spin-outs during qualifying for the History 300, Austin Dillon captured the pole for today’s Nationwide race at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 183.949 mph.

Jeff Green withdrew from the race, allowing Steve Wallace into the field.

The History 300 will air live on ABC at 2:45 p.m. ET. Green flag is slated for 3:02 p.m. Pre-race coverage starts at 2:30 p.m.

Here’s our lineup for the History 300:

1. Austin Dillon
2. Kyle Busch
3. Brian Vickers
4. Brian Scott
5. Parker Kilgerman
6. Joey Logano
7. Sam Hornish Jr.
8. Alex Bowman
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Regan Smith
11. Kasey Kahne
12. Chris Buescher
13. Nelson Piquet Jr.
14. Justin Allgaier
15. Mike Bliss
16. Kevin Harvick
17. Kevin Swindell
18. Kyle Larson
19. Dakoda Armstrong
20. Elliott Sadler
21. Trevor Bayne
22. Jeremy Clements
23. Jamie Dick
24. Landon Cassill
25. Travis Pastrana
26. John Wes Townley
27. Kenny Wallace
28. Johanna Long
29. Dexter Stacey
30. Kyle Fowler
31. Joe Nemechek
32. Eric McClure
33. Michael Annett
34. Mike Wallace
35. Juan Carlos Blum
36. Hal Martin
37. Jason White
38. Reed Sorenson
39. Robert Richardson
40. Steve Wallace

DNQ: J.J. Yeley, Bryan Silas, Matt Dibenedetto and Tanner Berryhill.

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"Caption this" winner: lorrilynn

"Watch what happens to his car when I press this button. He gets so mad!"

Congratulations to lorrilynn who contributed the winning caption for this photo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Paul Menard.

Please send your full name and mailing address to bbreinke@skirtsandscuffs.com to receive your prize, a copy of the devotional book Race Fans' Devotions to Go.

Thanks to everyone who played "Caption this!" Check back next Tuesday for a new photo and your next chance to submit a caption.

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'Duck Dynasty' star Willie Robertson to offer invocation before Coca-Cola 600

CONCORD, N.C. (May 24, 2013) – Star of the A&E show “Duck Dynasty” and Duck Commander CEO Willie Robertson will give the invocation for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Robertson, the only family member with a business degree, is credited with taking his father’s duck-call business from a living room operation to a multi-million dollar business. His entire family is highlighted in the reality show “Duck Dynasty,” an inside look at these self-proclaimed “Rich Rednecks” from the Louisiana bayou.

The family’s duckcommander.com website touts the show as one about “God, Family, Ducks (in that order),” and in fact, each episode ends with the family together around the dinner table.

Other Coca-Cola 600 dignitaries are Sgt. Aaron Causey (Grand Marshal), U.S. Senator Tim Scott (Honorary Starter) and Tennessee Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey (Honorary Race Director).

Causey is a veteran of both the US Air Force and Army. He served several tours of duty in Iraq, Afghanistan and more. He was attempting to disarm a suspected IED in Afghanistan in 2011 when it detonated, causing the loss of both of his legs and two fingers, in addition to many other physical and emotional scars.

Scott is a Republican senator from South Carolina, while Ramsey serves as Lt. Gov. of Tennessee.

Tickets for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 are on sale and can be obtained online at www.charlottemotorspeedway.com or by calling the ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS (3267). Get two reserved frontstretch seats, with the best views of the world’s largest HDTV and all the action on pit road, starting at just $99.

Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway by following on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CLTMotorSpdwy or follow The Greatest Place to See the Race on Facebook at www.facebook.com/charlottemotorspeedway.

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Not All That Glitters is Gold: Five Questions for Charlotte

Tyler Barrick/Getty Images for NASCAR

We live in a world where materialism is a heightened level of greed. There are many bins and shelves full of things/actions defined as avaricious, yet the need for new technology is more consuming. And we are all offenders.

Today, the entire world is at our fingertips. We can know anything with a few keystrokes and Google Chrome. Instant gratification is the fault in our stars that will bring us to our demise.

I’m guilty. My hands are up in surrender ... right after I finish answering this text.

Of course, teenagers are deemed the worst criminals, yet the truth shows that everyone has Googled something while on a dinner date, waited eagerly for a response to a message, laughed infinitely at videos of people getting hurt. It’s hard to believe such trivial things can add up to a large complex.

The fact of the matter is, we are impatient. We want things at the snap of our fingers. The wait seems pointless, so we cut it out of the equation. Twitter feeds tell us all we need to know. YouTube can repeat a TV show’s episode flawlessly (minus the buffering). Facebook shows reminders of birthdays and graduation parties, so there goes your memory.

And suddenly, no one sees the sense in calling someone anymore. Just like that, we are cold, distant, and only feet from each other.

The impetuous nature spills over into everyday life. Teachers have asked me to look up definitions on my phone during class. Military couples stay in touch through the wonders of Skype. They have restaurant apps where you can order your pizza from your couch.

There’s a thin, ever-changing line between convenience and ridiculousness.

One example I see of greed’s need is the announcement that Charlotte track owner Bruton Smith wants to move the October Chase race from Charlotte to Las Vegas. Not all that glitters is gold. To him, empty Charlotte seats turn onto the gold coins that cascade from the mouths of Sin City’s slot machines.

Because the All-Star Race received less than boastful comments, Smith is attempting to stir the pot. Any sort of publicity is good publicity in the corporate world.

Also, because of last weekend, everyone is suggesting changes to the exhibition race’s format. They don’t want to wait and see if next year’s race improves.

They want that instant gratification of knowing that will all be “fixed.”

From the new iPhone to rearranging the NASCAR schedule to flipping the All-Star Race yet again, we crave new technology and immediate answers. Much could be gained if we sat the phones down for a while and opened an encyclopedia instead.

They joke that we should respect our parents because they made it through high school without the Internet.

Maybe that’s not a joke at all. Maybe, in the end, it’s sort of sad.

In this week’s Five Questions, I tackle Smith’s publicity stunt, the Hall of Fame inductees, where the historic race known as the Coca-Cola 600 stands, and more.

Will Bruton Smith go through with the Las Vegas deal? I could say so many things about the proposal to take a race away from Charlotte (if you follow me on Twitter, you’ve seen them all). Restraining from going on a rant, a few words will suffice: you leave Charlotte behind, you leave NASCAR’s roots behind. Like a plant without its roots, NASCAR would slowly cease to exist. If he knows any better, this will never happen.

Can there ever be acceptance over the new NASCAR Hall of Fame class? Discussion and debate is a part of every sport and rightfully so; head honchos can’t do everything right, and there should be a check every now and then. That check was in session on Wednesday when the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014 was announced after hours of deliberation and voting. Tim Flock, Maurice Petty, Jack Ingram, Dale Jarrett and Fireball Roberts are to be enshrined next January. However, there was some outcry over who got in versus who was omitted, the point of Benny Parsons being rejected heavily stressed. Though fan input is strongly encouraged, it’s a double-edged sword, and this is a perfect example. The fans were allowed to vote for their inductees, and the results would count for one filled-out ballot. So the fans played a role in the selection, albeit a small one. Maybe the problem was lack of fan awareness? There’s a sense that we are pulling away from what/who made the sport what it is today. We should celebrate those characters every weekend, not just when the inductions are imminent. Educate the young. Remind the elderly. Feed the sport.

What is the Coca-Cola 600’s place in the sport? They compare it to a marathon, and that is understandable; the longest race on the circuit can make drivers' bodies and minds feel weary and drained. It’s the rev limiter of the season. If your mind tops out here for a split second, you could be heading nose-first into the SAFER Barrier in a blanket of sparks. It represents the mental element that adds an extra level of competition, and that is crucial in setting NASCAR apart from other sports. It’s what makes it special.

Does the All-Star Race’s results spell trouble for this weekend? As I touched on earlier, the reviews of the All-Star Race weren’t stellar. Because of this, people are worried the 600 will lack excitement and drama. You can’t judge a track by its race, which means that everyone needs to throw the All-Star Race out of their minds. The 600 is known for having an exciting beginning, a drawn-out middle, and a thrilling finish. So that is what should be expected.

With the importance of strategy increasing with each race, do crew chiefs get enough recognition? Without the drivers, we obviously wouldn’t have a race to watch. However, is it possible we give the drivers too much credit. There is so much going on behind the scenes that we don’t see. The crew chief spend time retaining information from practice sessions, calculating tire and fuel cycles, holding everything together. With the crew chiefs, the sport would fall apart. Should they receive more than a mention in Victory Lane? The answer is definitely yes.

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NSCS Pole Report: Denny Hamlin breaks track record earning pole for Coca-Cola 600

Photo Credit: Charlotte Bray/Skirts and Scuffs

Six drivers broke the track record today during qualifying for the Coca-Cola 600. In the end Denny Hamlin stood as the victor with a speed of 195.624 mph.

Here is your starting lineup for the 600, which will be run Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway:

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kurt Busch
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Mark Martin
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Kasey Kahne
7. Greg Biffle
8. Kyle Busch
9. Jamie McMurray
10. Ryan Newman
11. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
12. Jimmie Johnson
13. Carl Edwards
14. Jeff Gordon
15. Kevin Harvick
16. Juan Pablo Montoya
17. Martin Truex Jr.
18. Aric Almirola
19. Marcos Ambrose
20. Brad Keselowski
21. Casey Mears
22. Paul Menard
23. J.J. Yeley
24. Danica Patrick
25. Tony Stewart
26. David Gilliland
27. Jeff Burton
28. Travis Kvapil
29. Trevor Bayne
30. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
31. Joey Logano
32. Michael McDowell
33. Dave Blaney
34. Bobby Labonte
35. David Ragan
36. Regan Smith
37. David Reutimann
38. David Stremme
39. Timmy Hill
40. Joe Nemechek
41. Landon Cassill
42. Josh Wise
43. Scott Speed

DNQ: Mike Bliss

Special thanks to all the brave men and women who have and are serving our country. Thank you for your service. 

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NASCAR Fantasy Fusion: Coca-Cola 600

Track Classification: Intermediate

Similar Tracks: Atlanta Motor Speedway • Chicagoland Speedway • Darlington Raceway
Homestead-Miami Speedway • Kansas Speedway • Kentucky Speedway 

Las Vegas Motor Speedway •  New Hampshire Motor Speedway • Texas Motor Speedway

Distance: 1.5 Miles

Drivers with Most Top 10s (Last 5 Years):

By Race

All with 4 - David Reutimann, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth

All with 3 - Kasey Kahne, Jeff Gordon, Carl Edwards and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

By Track

Kyle Busch - 7

Matt Kenseth - 6

All with 5 - Joey Logano, Kasey Kahne and Denny Hamlin

Recent Pole Winners:  

2012 Aric Almirola

2011 Brad Keselowski

Likely Suspects: To complete a race as long as the Coca-Cola 600, you've got to have the whole package. And to complete the race upfront, you need to be champion material. When the race finally comes to an end on Sunday, look for one of these drivers to be leading the field: Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski or Carl Edwards.

My 2 Cents: This week's no-brainer pick is a three-way tie among Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth. My next pick goes to Carl Edwards, who not only races well at Charlotte, but also has the strength and stamina to complete this grueling race.

Aric Almirola is getting the nod this week. Not only is he having a great year, but also has proven that he can race with the best at Charlotte. I toyed with picking Kurt Busch instead of Aric, but in the end I think Aric shows more promise. He has momentum on his side and has a much better race average at Charlotte, 14 compared to Busch's 24. I will complete my team with Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Regan Smith.

Enjoy the race! Post your comments here or email me at ssfantasyracing@skirtsandscuffs.com.

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TV Schedule: May 23-26

It's Memorial Day weekend and the biggest weekend in motorsports.

The Indianapolis 500, IndyCar's premier event and one of the most prestigious in all of motorsports, is on Sunday, followed by the longest race in all of NASCAR, the Coca-Cola 600. The Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series are in action at Charlotte, the heart of the sport.

The following is a handy guide to track events and TV coverage this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. All times are in Eastern Standard Time.

Thursday, May 23:
1 p.m. NNS Practice, SPEED
3:30 p.m. NSCS Practice, SPEED
5 p.m. NNS Practice, SPEED
6:30 p.m. NASCAR Race Hub Special Edition
7 p.m. NSCS Qualifying, SPEED

Friday, May 24:
2 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2

Saturday, May 25:
10 a.m. NSCS Practice, SPEED
11 a.m. NNS Qualifying, ESPN2
1 p.m. NSCS Final Practice, SPEED
2:30 p.m. NNS Countdown, ABC
2:45 p.m. NNS: HISTORY 300, ABC. Green flag: 3:02 p.m.
11 p.m. Trackside, SPEED

Sunday, May 26:
12 a.m. NSCS Practice (re-air), SPEED
1 a.m. NSCS Final Practice (re-air), SPEED
1:30 a.m. NNS: HISTORY 300 (re-air), ESPN2
10 a.m. NASCAR Now, ESPN2
12 p.m. 97th running of the Indianapolis 500, ABC
3:30 p.m. NASCAR RaceDay, SPEED
5:30 p.m. NSCS Pre-Race Show, FOX
6 p.m. NSCS: Coca-Cola 600, FOX. Green flag: 6:16 p.m.
10:30 p.m. NASCAR Victory Lane, SPEED (re-airs at 12:30 a.m. Monday)

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2014 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class Announced

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 22, 2013) – NASCAR announced today the inductees who will comprise the 2014 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The five-person group – the fifth in NASCAR Hall of Fame history – consists of Tim Flock, Jack Ingram, Dale Jarrett, Maurice Petty and Fireball Roberts. Next year’s Induction Day is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2014, broadcast on Fox Sports 1 from Charlotte, N.C.

The 54-member NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met today in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C., to vote on the induction class of 2014. NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France made the announcement this evening in the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s “Great Hall.”

Next year’s class was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, which included representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders and a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com – which counted for the 55th and final vote. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

Voting for next year’s class was as follows: Tim Flock (76%), Maurice Petty (67%), Dale Jarrett (56%), Jack Ingram (53%) and Fireball Roberts (51%).

The next top vote getters were Jerry Cook, Joe Weatherly and Wendell Scott.

Results for the NASCAR.com Fan Vote, in alphabetical order, were Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Dale Jarrett, Benny Parsons and Fireball Roberts.

The five inductees came from a group of 25 nominees that included:

Red Byron, Richard Childress, Jerry Cook, H. Clay Earles, Tim Flock, Ray Fox, Anne Bledsoe France, Rick Hendrick, Jack Ingram, Bobby Isaac, Dale Jarrett, Fred Lorenzen, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, Maurice Petty, Larry Phillips, Les Richter, Fireball Roberts, T. Wayne Robertson, Wendell Scott, Ralph Seagraves, O. Bruton Smith, Curtis Turner, Joe Weatherly and Rex White.

Class of 2014 Inductees:

Tim Flock
A two-time NASCAR premier series champion, Flock was one of the sport’s first dominant drivers. In 187 starts, Flock had 39 victories, a total that still ranks 18th on the all-time wins list. Flock won his first series title in 1952 while driving Ted Chester’s Hudson Hornet, and his second in 1955 driving Carl Kiekhaefer’s Chrysler. He dominated that season, posting 18 wins, 32 top fives and 18 poles in 39 races. Flock’s 18 wins stood as a single-season victory record until Richard Petty surpassed it with 27 wins in 1967.

Jack Ingram
The NASCAR Nationwide Series has had a variety of incarnations through the years but when considered collectively, an argument can be made that Jack Ingram is the series’ all-time greatest driver. Before the formation of the series, Ingram won three consecutive championships, from 1972-74, in its precursor – the Late Model Sportsman Division. When the NASCAR Busch Series was formed, he won the inaugural title in 1982 and again in ’85. In his 10 years of competition in what was called the NASCAR Busch Series, Ingram had 31 wins, a record that stood until Mark Martin broke it in 1997. All but two of Ingram’s 31 wins came on short tracks.

Dale Jarrett
Dale Jarrett personified big-stage performances. A three-time Daytona 500 winner and two-time winner of the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Jarrett excelled under NASCAR’s brightest spotlights. His 32 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories – 21st all-time – also include the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Jarrett won the 1999 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship, and recorded six additional top-five championship finishes. With father Ned, the Jarretts are only the second father-son combination with NASCAR premier series championships after NASCAR Hall of Famers Lee and Richard Petty. Ned Jarrett was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in May 2011. Ned and Dale Jarrett become the third father-son duo selected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, following Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr., and Lee and Richard Petty.

Maurice Petty
The chief engine builder at Petty Enterprises, Maurice Petty becomes the fourth member of the dynasty to be chosen for membership in the NASCAR Hall of Fame – following his older brother Richard, father Lee and his cousin Dale Inman. The man simply called “Chief” supplied the horsepower that propelled Richard Petty to a majority of his record 200 NASCAR victories, plus his seven NASCAR premier series championships and seven Daytona 500 victories. Lee Petty, Buddy Baker, Jim Paschal and Pete Hamilton were also among those who won with his engines. Petty had a brief driving career – 26 premier series races with seven top-five and 16 top-10 finishes between 1960 and 1964 – but was satisfied to work behind the scenes as one of the top engine builders ever seen in the sport.

Fireball Roberts
Glenn Roberts, who got his legendary nickname from his days as a hard-throwing pitcher in high school, is perhaps the greatest driver never to win a NASCAR title. He was arguably stock car racing’s first superstar, an immensely popular prototype for some of today’s competitors who are stars on and off the track. During his career he often came up big in the biggest events, winning the Daytona 500 in 1962 and the Southern 500 in 1958 and ’63. Overall, he won seven races at Daytona International Speedway, starting with the Firecracker 250 in the summer of 1959 – the year the speedway opened.

About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series), four regional series, one local grassroots series, three international series and GRAND-AM Road Racing and the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón, both known for competition on road courses. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information, visit www.nascar.com and follow NASCAR at www.facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.

About the NASCAR Hall of Fame
Conveniently located in Uptown Charlotte, N.C., the 150,000-square-foot NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, opened May 11, 2010, and includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant, NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop and NASCAR Media Group-operated broadcast studio. The venue is open 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. seven days a week and has an attached parking garage on Brevard Street. The five-acre site also includes a privately developed 19-story office tower and 102,000-square-foot expansion to the Charlotte Convention Center, highlighted by a 40,000 square-foot ballroom. The NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. www.nascarhall.com

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Pittman sets new track speed record and dominates at New Egypt Speedway

Photo Credit: Kasey Kahne Racing

New Egypt Speedway is the last surviving dirt track in New Jersey. It is also the only track to host both of the Outlaws touring series. The 7/16-mile D shaped clay oval is a tough nut to crack. In 1978, this was the first track that Steve Kinser won on; he also won the last Outlaws race held there in 2005. Last night the winner would come from a new generation of drivers when Daryn Pittman took the double checkered flags to claim his fourth win of the season.

The field was 33 cars strong and the track record was 12 years old held by Joey Saldana. On July 30, 2001, he turned a lap of 13.828. Last night the track record would fall to 17 out of the 33 cars who qualified. In the end, the fastest and new track record holder would be Daryn Pittman who turned a lap of 13.396 or 117.070 mph. The rest of the top 5 were Kraig Kinser, Paul McMahan, Tony Stewart and Donny Schatz.

The four heat races would be run on a very fast and very narrow track that was, according to drivers, too wet. The cushion or the top of the track was only about half way up the track making the racing surface about a groove and a half. By the time the third heat was run, the cushion was becoming very choppy and rough as it moved up the track.

The first heat race was won by PA Posse standout Greg Hodnett who was chased to the line by Donny Schatz, Daryn Pittman, Justin Henderson and J.J. Grasso. Hodnett took the lead on the green flag and was never challenged for the lead. The real racing went on for the second and fourth spots with Schatz and Pittman dueling hard all the way around the track. Grasso would pressure Henderson but could never get up beside him for the fourth spot. 

The second heat race was won by Joey Saldana in the Motter Motorsports No. 71M. The rest of the A Main transfers were Sammy Swindell, Cody Darrah, Jessica Zemken and Steve Kinser. On Lap 2, Kraig Kinser got into the back of Zemken while trying to make a pass and damaged the front suspension of the car. He would finish last in the race losing his Dash on time position.

The third heat race was won by new comer and central PA Posse member Ryan Smith who held off a hard charging Jason Sides, Chad Kemenah, Paul McMahan and David Gravel. Gravel and Kerry Madsen would battle back and forth while exchanging the final transfer spot four times before the checkers flew. This would give the spot to Gravel and relegate Madsen to the Last Chance Showdown.

The final heat race was won by Craig Dollansky who won the race with a straight away lead over third place. Coming home second was Tony Stewart who finished 1.9 seconds behind the leader after battling with Lance Dewease who was passed on the final lap by Logan Schuchart. The final transfer to the A Main was Mark Bitner, a modified stand out that was making his Outlaws debut last night.

The Dash draw was a six (6) putting Jason Sides on the pole for the race. Starting to his right was Sammy Swindell. Sammy took the lead on the green flag and walked the dog on the field taking the Dash win by 2.9 seconds. Sides came across the line second after a hard fought battle with Daryn Pittman who came home third. 

The Last Chance Showdown was indeed the last chance for two regular Outlaw competitors. Both Kraig Kinser, who started on the pole, and Kerry Madsen, who started 12th, were out of provisionals and they would have to race their way into the A Main. For Madsen that was a tall order on the wet narrow track. When the Showdown went green Kraig Kinser jumped out to the lead and ran away from the field.

The race would be for the final transfer spot between Brent Marks, Davey Sammons and Kerry Madsen. At one point Madsen passed both Sammons and Marks on the low side in Turns 3 and 4 but did a wheel stand with the car and then bicycled for a moment allowing both Marks and Sammons to get back by him. Madsen was never able to regain the spots to advance to the A Main. The Showdown would be won by Kraig Kinser by a half lap advantage. The rest of the transfers were Robby Stillwagon, Ryan Bohlke and Brent Marks.

The A Main was 30 laps in length and took place after the track was grated in an effort to widen it out. Sammy Swindell, who was making his New Egypt debut, would take the early lead but lose it in traffic to Daryn Pittman on the fourth lap. Pittman would pull away from Swindell who would damage the nose wing of the car when debris would come up off the track breaking a bracket. Jason Sides and Tony Stewart would battle for third all the way to the checkered flag with Donny Schatz joining the mix to take them three wide on the back straight away. Sides would prevail and come home third while Stewart had to settle for fourth and Schatz fifth. The hard charger of the race was J.J. Grasso who advanced six spots from 17th to 11th. 

Sides would have a fuel leak in the car during the closing laps of the A Main and would exit the car soaked in fuel. As a result, he was unable to be on the podium due to safety concerns with the fuel.

Daryn Pittman was very emotional in victory lane saying, “Certain tracks you just really enjoy. I love New Egypt. We thought we could be the car to beat and we proved that.”

Sammy Swindell, who finished second, examined the damage on the nose of his Big Game Tree Stands Eagle Chassis car and said, “We broke a nose wing bracket over there. There was a lot of stuff being thrown up there after they grated it. The track changed so much we didn’t quite free it up enough. But he couldn’t get away (from us), it was just really hard to get through traffic.”

The Outlaws will begin the trek from New Jersey to North Carolina where they will take on the Dirt Track at Charlotte. There are all kinds of personal appearances and special dates for the fans in Charlotte this week. From winged go kart races to driver appearances and autograph sessions. The Outlaws home office is in Charlotte so in a way they are going home. Last year, Joey Saldana took home the prize on national television. This year, there is no live coverage but the race at Charlotte is always a big deal.

New Egypt is quiet now. She has been left alone with her thoughts and memories. Her pages are full and the cheers of her stands echo along with the sound of the 900 horsepower Outlaw engines. The moon caresses her clay curves and smiles, it is time to sleep and dream of sprint cars with wings and young men who became and would become Kings.

Qualifying Results: 1) Daryn Pittman 13.396 117.070 MPH New Track Record 2) Kraig Kinser 3) Paul McMahan 4) Tony Stewart 5) Donny Schatz 6) Sammy Swindell 7) Jason Sides 8) Logan Schuchart 9) Greg Hodnett 10) Joey Saldana 11) Robby Stillwagon 12) Lance Dewease 13) Justin Henderson 14) Jessica Zemken 15) Ryan Smith 16) Craig Dollansky 17) JJ Grasso 18) Steve Kinser 19) Chad Kemenah 20) Ryan Bohlke 21) Brent Marks 22) Cody Darrah 23) David Gravel 24) Bill Rose 25) Davey Sammons 26) Billy Pauch 27) Kyle Reinhardt 28) Jason Leffler 29) Kevin Nagy 30) Justin Barger 31) Kerry Madsen 32) Mark Bitner 33) Jacob Allen

Heat Race 1 Results: 1) Greg Hodnett 2) Donny Schatz 3) Daryn Pittman 4) Justin Henderson 5) JJ Grasso 6) Davey Sammons 7) Brent Marks 8) Jacob Allen. 9) Kevin Nagy

Heat Race 2 Results: 1) Greg Hodnett 2) Donny Schatz 3) Daryn Pittman 4) Justin Henderson 5) JJ Grasso 6) Davey Sammons 7) Brent Marks 8) Jacob Allen. 9) Kevin Nagy

Heat Race 3 Results: 1) Ryan Smith 2) Jason Sides 3) Chad Kemenah 4) Paul McMahan 5) David Gravel 6) Kerry Madsen 7) Robby Stillwagon 8) Kyle Reinhardt.

Heat Race 4 Results: 1) Craig Dollansky 2) Tony Stewart 3) Logan Schuchart 4) Lance Dewease 5) Mark Bitner 6) Bill Rose 7) Jason Leffler 8) Ryan Bohlke.

Dash Results: Inversion was 6. 1) Sammy Swindell 2) Jason Sides 3) Daryn Pittman 4) Tony Stewart 5) Donny Schatz 6) Paul McMahan 7) Craig Dollansky 8) Joey Saldana 9) Greg Hodnett 10) Ryan Smith

Last Chance Showdown Results: 1) Kraig Kinser 2) Robby Stillwagon 3) Ryan Bohlke 4) Brent Marks transfer to the A. 5) Davey Sammons 6) Kerry Madsen 7) Bill Rose 8) Kyle Reinhardt 9) Jason Leffler 10) Justin Barger 11) Jacob Allen. 12) Kevin Nagy 13) Billy Pauch

A Main Results: 1) Daryn Pittman 2) Sammy Swindell 3) Jason Sides 4) Tony Stewart 5) Donny Schatz 6) Joey Saldana 7) Paul McMahan 8) Greg Hodnett 9) Craig Dollansky 10) Kraig Kinser 11) JJ Grasso 12) Lance Dewease 13) Steve Kinser 14) Ryan Smith 15) Cody Darrah 16) David Gravel 17) Logan Schuchart 18) Chad Kemenah 19) Justin Henderson 20) Ryan Bohlke 21) Jessica Zemken 22) Mark Bitner 23) Brent Marks 24) Robby Stillwagon.

Hard Charger of the Race: J.J. Grasso from 17th to 12th.

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Fast Facts: Scott Speed



Photo Credit: LJ Cloud/Skirts & Scuffs

Scott Speed, driver of the No. 95 Ford Fusion for Leavine Family Racing in the Sprint Cup Series, recently added another first to his already-impressive driver’s resume: he won a gold medal in his first career RallyCross race in the 2013 X Games in Foz do Iguacu in Brazil. Check out the rest of Speed’s career in this week’s Fast Facts.

• Scott Andrew Speed was born January 24, 1983 in Manteca, California. He began his racing career in karting at age 10, and won three IKF regional titles along with  the SKUSA Super Pro title in 2000. His brother Alex still races karts, and has three Stars of Karting titles and three SKUSA Supernationals titles to his name.
• In 2001, Speed moved up to the US Formula Russell series, winning the title in his first season. He moved on to the US Barber Formula Dodge Series and US Star Mazda Series in 2002, then on to British Formula Three in 2003. He was forced to return to the States for treatment of ulcerative colitis during the 2003 season, but returned to the track in 2004, winning two championships in the Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup and the German Formula Renault series.
• Speed’s results in 2004 led to a ride in the GP2 Series in 2005, as well as a spot as a test driver for Red Bull Racing’s Formula One program as the year progressed. Speed was the first American driver to participate in an F1 event since Michael Andretti in 1993. He competed in F1 for Red Bull Racing’s Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2006 and part of 2007; he was released from his contract on July 31, 2007 and replaced by Sebastian Vettel.
• While his F1 ride was gone, Speed remained on good terms with Red Bull, and secured a US-based ride with the team later in 2007. He raced in selected ARCA Racing Series events in 2007 and the full season in 2008, when he contended for the championship. Speed also made his NASCAR debut in the Truck Series in 2007, and his Cup Series debut for Red Bull in October 2008.
• Speed attempted to qualify for the 2011 Indianapolis 500 with Dragon Racing, but was unable to get the car up to speed; he was later replaced by Patrick Carpentier, who went on to crash the car in practice.
• Speed and his wife Amanda welcomed daughter Juliet Leigh in October 2011. The family lives in North Carolina.
• Find out more about Speed at his website, www.scottspeed.com.  

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Kraig Kinser comes home on top at Orange County Fair Speedway

Photo Credit: Kraig Kinser Racing

Racing and Orange County (NY) go hand in hand. No speedway in the region or in the WORLD has as much history behind it as Orange County Fair Speedway! It is the oldest dirt track, which has been operating continuously, in the United States. This track has survived depression, wars, hurricanes, and calamities that would have sunk other enterprises. Last night, she played host to the World of Outlaws STP Sprint Cars. In the process she wrote another page of her history and an important page for second generation driver Kraig Kinser.

The Outlaws took to the hard clay track 23 cars strong with three-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart in the field. He was driving his own Chevrolet Performance/Bass Pro Shop No. 14. The track record of 16.083 held by Joey Saldana was set in September 2008. The record would stand and quick time was set by Stewart with a lap of 17.027 or 132.143 mph. The remainder of the top five were Paul McMahan, Joey Saldana, Donny Schatz and Chad Kemenah. 

The short field called for three heat races with everyone transferring to the A Main and eliminating the need for a Last Chance Showdown. The first heat race was dominated by World of Outlaws point leader Daryn Pittman who crossed the line in front of Donny Schatz, Jessica Zemken, Tony Stewart and Steve Kinser. The race was a battle from fifth on back with Steve Kinser holding school on how to work the top of a slick, hard clay surface. Pittman, Schatz and Stewart would all transfer to the Dash. 

The second heat race would go to PA Posse member Ryan Smith with Cody Darrah coming hard at the line. Paul McMahan and Chad Kemenah would settle the battle for third at the line with McMahan coming in on top. Smith, Darrah, McMahan and Kemenah would all transfer to the Dash. 

The third heat was a battle between old school and new school heroes. Sammy Swindell would jump to the lead early and would cross the line 2.7 seconds in front of Joey Saldana, Justin Henderson and Kraig Kinser. Kraig Kinser, Sammy Swindell and Joey Saldana would transfer to the Dash. 

The Dash inversion was a six (6), which put Kraig Kinser on the pole. It was a hard fought six laps that was action packed from the drop of the green flag. Chad Kemenah would jump to an early lead over Kraig Kinser. Donny Schatz and Tony Stewart would battle all the way to the checkers for third place with Stewart coming home with the spot. 

With the top 5 rows of the A Main set, this event was next on the card. The 25 lap A Main was contended from second back. Kraig Kinser would jump to the lead and hold it for the entire 25 laps. The battle for second raged between Donny Schatz, Tony Stewart and Chad Kemenah. In the course of five laps, the third spot changed hands between Stewart and Schatz six times. After making a pass on the bottom of the track, which was the preferred line, Stewart moved to third and brought Paul McMahan with him relegating current champ Schatz to fifth.

Stewart would close on Kemenah attempting to make a high side pass on the final lap out of Turn 4; however, Kemenah would block to protect the spot, holding on to second. Stewart would come home third. Paul McMahan would cross the line in fourth with Schatz coming home a very close fifth. At the line, there was less than four car lengths between second and fifth. The KSE Hard Charger of the race was Steve Kinser who was the defending champion of the race. Kinser would advance four spots from 16th to 12th. Kraig Kinser would finish with a two second lead on the field.

“It’s been a rough start to the season. Hopefully we are getting rolling now,” said Kraig Kinser. “It feels really good to get a victory after the start we have had.”

Chad Kemenah said that he thought starting on the pole was a disadvantage last night. “We’d been better off starting second. We’ve been consistent lately so hopefully we can win one soon. The left rear tire was going away quick so I had to kind of coast a little bit at the end. I didn’t want to blow it out and end up with another disappointment like last year. “ 

Third place finisher Tony Stewart, who was celebrating his 42nd birthday racing with the Outlaws, said, “We would have had second if Chad hadn’t tried to run us in the wall there in four. But it’s part of it learning how these guys are going to race you. We will do the same thing to them tomorrow. But it feels good to finish third in our first time here. It’s a very momentum driven track. You have to stay very disciplined to do well here.” 

They say that history and time are fluid and that they run like a river. Last night, it ran like a fast moving stream of rapids with Kraig Kinser navigating it perfectly. The very quick and short night will leave a lasting memory on the young man from Bloomington, Indiana whose family history often over shadows his talent and ability. But last night it was the son not the father that showed the way and led the ship through the rough waters of the oldest dirt track in the country - Orange County Fair Speedway.

Qualifying: 1. 14-Tony Stewart, 17.027; 2. 51-Paul McMahan, 17.071; 3. 71M-Joey Saldana, 17.265; 4. 15-Donny Schatz, 17.276; 5. 63-Chad Kemenah, 17.301; 6. 11K-Kraig Kinser, 17.324; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman, 17.325; 8. 4-Cody Darrah, 17.342; 9. 1-Sammy Swindell, 17.359; 10. 1Z-Jessica Zemken, 17.366; 11. 69-Ryan Smith, 17.568; 12. O7-Justin Henderson, 17.593; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart, 17.609; 14. 7S-Jason Sides, 17.628; 15. 7-Craig Dollansky, 17.634; 16. 11-Steve Kinser, 17.799; 17. 6-David Gravel, 17.806; 18 29-Kerry Madsen, 17.839; 19 13-Jason Leffler, 17.853; 20 5-Justin Barger, 17.943; 21 28F-Davie Franek, 18.328; 22 6R-Bill Rose, 18.409; 23 1A-Jacob Allen, 18.527

Heat 1 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature): 1. 9-Daryn Pittman [2]; 2. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 3. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [1]; 4. 14-Tony Stewart [4]; 5. 11-Steve Kinser [6]; 6. 1S-Logan Schuchart [5]; 7. 13-Jason Leffler [7]; 8. 6R-Bill Rose [8].

Heat 2 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature): 1. 69-Ryan Smith [1]; 2. 4-Cody Darrah [2]; 3. 51-Paul McMahan [4]; 4. 63-Chad Kemenah [3]; 5. 7S-Jason Sides [5]; 6. 5-Justin Barger [7]; 7. 6-David Gravel [6]; 8. 1A-Jacob Allen [8].

Heat 3 - (8 Laps - Top 6 finishers transfer to the A-feature): 1. 1-Sammy Swindell [2]; 2. 71M-Joey Saldana [4]; 3. O7-Justin Henderson [1]; 4. 11K-Kraig Kinser [3]; 5. 7-Craig Dollansky [5]; 6. 29-Kerry Madsen [6]; 7. 28F-Davie Franek [7].

Dash - (6 Laps, finishing order determined first 10 starting positions of A-feature): 1. 63-Chad Kemenah [2]; 2. 11K-Kraig Kinser [1]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart [6]; 4. 15-Donny Schatz [3]; 5. 71M-Joey Saldana [4]; 6. 51-Paul McMahan [5]; 7. 9-Daryn Pittman [7]; 8. 4-Cody Darrah [8]; 9. 1-Sammy Swindell [9]; 10. 69-Ryan Smith [10].

A-Main - (25 Laps): 1. 11K-Kraig Kinser [2] [$10,000]; 2. 63-Chad Kemenah [1] [$5,500]; 3. 14-Tony Stewart [3] [$3,200]; 4. 51-Paul McMahan [6] [$2,800]; 5. 15-Donny Schatz [4] [$2,500]; 6. 9-Daryn Pittman [7] [$2,300]; 7. 4-Cody Darrah [8] [$2,200]; 8. 71M-Joey Saldana [5] [$2,100]; 9. 69-Ryan Smith [10] [$2,050]; 10. 1-Sammy Swindell [9] [$2,000]; 11. 7S-Jason Sides [14] [$1,500]; 12. 11-Steve Kinser [16] [$1,200]; 13. O7-Justin Henderson [12] [$1,100]; 14. 29-Kerry Madsen [18] [$1,050]; 15. 1S-Logan Schuchart [13] [$1,000]; 16. 5-Justin Barger [20] [$900]; 17. 1Z-Jessica Zemken [11] [$800]; 18. 7-Craig Dollansky [15] [$800]; 19. 6-David Gravel [17] [$800]; 20. 13-Jason Leffler [19] [$800]; 21. 6R-Bill Rose [22] [$800]; 22. 28F-Davie Franek [21] [$800]; 23. 1A-Jacob Allen [23] [$800]. Lap Leaders: Kraig Kinser 1-25. KSE Hard Charger Award: 11-Steve Kinser [+4].

KSE Hard Charger - Steve Kinser, 16th to 12th 

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Caption this: Menard and Montoya

These two were hanging out on pit road at
Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend.
Caption this!

Leave your caption in the comment section below. One entry per person and please leave your name or twitter handle. Anonymous posts will not be eligible to win.

We'll take captions until Thursday evening, then the Skirts and Scuffs staff will vote to choose a winner. Check back this Saturday to read the winning caption.

And yes, there is a PRIZE! The "Caption this" winner will receive a copy of the book, Race Fans' Devotions to Go. The winner must follow instructions for sending us his or her contact info, as specified in the winning caption post.

Bring on your funnies. We look forward to reading them! :o)

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