CONCORD, N.C. – For only the fifth time in history, this weekend the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to Kentucky Speedway.
The series began racing at the 1.5-mile tri-oval in July 2011 and has continued to hold one points-paying race per season there ever since. So far, Hendrick Motorsports has earned five top-five finishes, 12 top-10 finishes and two pole positions.
Kentucky Speedway is the only active track where Hendrick Motorsports has not produced a win in the Sprint Cup Series, so a win by any of the four Hendrick Motorsports drivers would mark a milestone. But a win by Jeff Gordon would additionally make him the first driver in NASCAR history to win at every track.
Tune in this Saturday night to see if Hendrick Motorsports makes history with a Kentucky Speedway win. But before doing so, here are a few details on what you should be watching for:
BROADCAST INFORMATION: Saturday's race will air live on NBC Sports Network at 7:30 p.m. ET. Can’t make it to a television? Tune into PRN or SiriusXM to catch the Kentucky Speedway radio coverage. This weekend’s qualifying session will take place Friday evening on NBC Sports Network. Tune in to this weekend’s two practices, also on NBC Sports Network, this Friday. Here is the full broadcast schedule:
Friday, July 10:
10:30 a.m. ET, Sprint Cup Series Practice, NBC Sports Network
1 p.m. ET, Sprint Cup Series Final Practice, NBC Sports Network
5:45 p.m. ET, Sprint Cup Series Qualifying, NBC Sports Network
Saturday, July 11:
7:30 p.m. ET, Sprint Cup Series Race, NBC Sports Network/PRN/SiriusXM (7:45 p.m. ET green flag)
THIS WEEK’S PAINT SCHEMES: This weekend at Kentucky Speedway, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon will return to the No. 5 LiftMaster Chevrolet SS and No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet SS, respectively. Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 48 Lowe’s ProServices Chevrolet SS, while teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. pilots the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS.
HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT KENTUCKY: In four races at Kentucky, Hendrick Motorsports has posted two poles, five top-five finishes, 12 top-10 finishes 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.
KAHNE AT KENTUCKY: According to NASCAR loop data from the last four points-paying races at Kentucky, Kahne ranks second in quality passes (145), fifth in average finish (8.500), fifth in driver rating (98.9), fifth in average green flag speed (172.039), eighth in laps run in the top 15 (709), and ninth in fastest laps run (64).
GORDON AT KENTUCKY: Kentucky Speedway is the only track where Gordon has yet to visit Victory Lane in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. If he were to win Saturday night, Gordon would become first driver in NASCAR history to win at every track in the respective season.
JOHNSON AT KENTUCKY: In the last four races at Kentucky, according to NASCAR loop data, Johnson has the second-best driver rating of 116.6. During that span, he has an average start of 8.5 and an average finish of 7.0, leading 203 total laps at the track.
KENTUCKY DOUBLE: In addition to his duties behind the wheel of the No. 88 Nationwide Chevrolet SS, Earnhardt will pilot JR Motorsports' No. 88 Chevrolet in the XFINITY Series race on Friday. This will be Earnhardt’s first XFINITY start at Kentucky. It marks Earnhardt's fourth XFINITY start of the season. Most recently, he drove the No. 88 Chevrolet to a third-place finish at Texas Motor Speedway in April.
EARNHARDT AT KENTUCKY: In the last four races at Kentucky, Earnhardt has collected two top-five finishes and two top-10 finishes. He also claimed the pole position at the 1.5-mile track in 2013.