CONCORD, N.C.— This weekend’s race is at Kentucky Speedway.
And, Saturday night’s race marks the halfway point in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season.
“It’s hard to believe we’re already halfway,” Chase Elliott said. “It seems like the year has gone by pretty quick.”
Kentucky Speedway made some improvements in June, including a repave at the 1.5-mile tri-oval track, and Hendrick Motorsports drivers are ready to take on the new surface.
“I think they did a good job with the repave, so I’m looking forward to racing there,” Kasey Kahne said. “As the rubber gets put down we will be able to move around more, and as the weekend goes it will get better and better.”
Tune in Saturday night to catch all the action, but before you do, check out these key notes to keep an eye on below.
BROADCAST INFORMATION: Saturday’s race will air live on NBC Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. ET. Can’t make it to the television? Listen to the race live on PRN and SiriusXM to catch the radio coverage. Here is the full broadcast schedule:
Thursday, July 7:
2:30 p.m. ET: Sprint Cup Series Practice, NBC Sports Network
Friday, July 8:
1:30 p.m. ET: Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, NBC Sports Network
6:45 p.m. ET: Sprint Cup Series Qualifying, NBC Sports Network
Saturday, July 9:
7:30 p.m. ET: Sprint Cup Series Race, NBC Sports Network
THIS WEEKEND’S PAINT SCHEMES: Kahne will pilot the No. 5 Great Clips Chevrolet SS this weekend at Kentucky. NAPA AUTO PARTS will be the primary partner on board Rookie of the Year contender Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS. Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet SS and Dale Earnhardt Jr. will pilot the No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet SS this weekend.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT KENTUCKY: In five races at Kentucky, Hendrick Motorsports has posted two poles, five top-five finishes, 14 top-10s and 213 laps led. Kentucky Speedway, which began hosting NASCAR’s premier series in 2011, is the only active track where Hendrick Motorsports has not produced a win in the Sprint Cup Series.
GREAT CLIPS AT KENTUCKY: After two weeks with special paint schemes – Shark Week at Sonoma and Strong Against Cancer at Daytona, Great Clips returns to its traditional look this weekend at Kentucky. The Minnesota-based company has five races remaining with the No. 5 team this season – Pocono, Watkins Glen, New Hampshire, Charlotte and Homestead-Miami.
KAHNE TESTS AT KENTUCKY: Kahne participated in the two-day Kentucky tire test with the No. 5 team on June 13 and 14. He has five starts at Kentucky and has one runner-up finish (2012) at the 1.5-mile track.
PATRIOTIC PAINT SCHEME: After a two-week hiatus, primary partner NAPA AUTO PARTS is back on the hood of Elliott’s No. 24 Chevrolet SS. This weekend, however, Elliott’s NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevy will sport a brand new look. Elliott will pilot a patriotic paint scheme that features stars and stripes.The scheme will help to kick off NAPA’s “Get Back and Give Back” effort while boosting awareness for the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF).
SEASON STANDINGS: Elliott currently sits eighth in the standings with 482 points. The rookie trails points leader Harvick by 83 markers. The 20-year-old is younger than any other driver currently inside the top 16 – the amount of drivers NASCAR takes into its playoffs – while also being the highest ranked rookie.
WINLESS IN KENTUCKY: Of the 77 career wins Johnson has accumulated over his 16-year career, none of them have come at Kentucky. The other "winless" tracks Johnson has his sights set on include Chicago, Watkins Glen and Homestead-Miami.
JOHNSON AT KENTUCKY: In five starts at Kentucky, Johnson has an average start of 8.0 and an average finish of 7.4, leading 203 total laps at the track.
NATIONWIDE CHILDREN’S: Earnhardt will drive the No. 88 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Chevrolet SS this weekend at Kentucky Speedway. The special paint scheme features the Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) logo as well as the names of fans (on the hood) who donated to the hospital through a special fundraising platform. The blue car will be adorned with butterflies, as they are recognized as the hospital’s ambassadors of hope and optimism.
EARNHARDT AT KENTUCKY: In five starts at Kentucky Speedway, Earnhardt has two top-fives – his best finish is fourth – and an average finish of 14.4. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, native qualified on the pole at the 1.5-mile tri-oval for the June 2013 race. Last year, he finished 21st in his No. 88 Nationwide Chevy after having brake issues all race long, but in the previous three races he earned finishes of 12th or better – including the two top-five results. According to NASCAR’s loop data statistics, Earnhardt ranks second in the green-flag passes category with 358, and fifth for average speed late in a run (170.082 mph).