Kanaan leads final Indy 500 practice

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Tony Kanaan on Friday led final practice for the 2016 Indianapolis 500 with a best speed of 226.280 MPH.

Kanaan was followed by Carlos Munoz, Scott Dixon, Will Power, Ryan Hunter Reay, Alexander Rossi, JR Hildebrand, Oriol Servia, Townsend Bell and Helio Castreneves to round out the Top-10 in the session.

Kanaan ran 42 laps in the session.

Simon Pagenaud (22nd) and Charlie Kimball (26th) each ran 52 laps, the most in the session.

Buddy Lazier finished last (33rd place) in the session with a speed of 226.280 MPH. He ran 19 laps in the session.

Final data from the session is below:

Truex Jr. earns Coors Light Pole for Coca Cola 600

NASCAR Statement.

Martin Truex Jr. will start first for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 after earning the Coors Light Pole Award during Thursday's qualifying at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

His No. 78 Toyota set a blistering pace during the session, topping the board at 192.328 mph. This marks the second pole of the season for the Furniture Row Racing wheelman. 

Team Penske's Joey Logano was second-quickest during the three-round knockout session. Logano, who was the fastest during the opening two rounds, clocked in at 192.007 mph. 

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. rounded out the top three in his No. 17 Roush Fenway Racing Ford (191.428 mph). 

The No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota of Denny Hamlin (191.388 mph) and the No. 2 Team Penske Ford of Brad Keselowski (190.968 mph) will line up for the marathon event fourth and fifth, respectively. 

Defending race winner Carl Edwards came in ninth on the speed charts in his No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (189.853 mph). 

The 40-car field returns to the track on Saturday for second practice (10 a.m., FS1) ahead of Sunday's 600-mile event (6 p.m. ET, FOX). 

Recap of today's XFINITY Series practices

Erik Jones was fastest during opening practice at Charlotte Motor Speedway with a speed of 181.159 MPH. Denny Hamlin was second, followed by: Ryan Blaney, Daniel Suarez, Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon, Cole Custer, Kyle Larson, Brennan Poole, Brandon Jones. 40 drivers practiced during the session.

Later in the day, Ty Dillon was quickest during happy hour for the Hisense 300 with a speed of 181.342 MPH. He was followed by Daniel Suarez, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Brennan Poole, Brandon Jones, Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, Jeb Burton, and Kyle Larson. 40 drivers participated in the session.

Kurt Busch leads opening Coca Cola 600 practice

Thursday practice for the Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway is over.
Kurt Busch led the session with a speed of 192.843 MPH.

Busch was followed by Jimmie Johnson (191.252), Carl Edwards (191.042), Kevin Harvick (190.772) and Kyle Larson (190.745) to round out the Top-5.

Reed Sorenson (175.461) and Josh Wise (180.626) had the slowest speeds in the session.

Kyle Busch (25) and Brian Scott (21) led the most laps in this session.

In the event that qualifying is cancelled, the practice speeds would set the lineup for the main race. Qualifying is scheduled for 7:15pm ET on Thursday.

NASCAR partners with Steven Soderbergh on heist-themed film project

Official NASCAR Release.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 26, 2016) -- NASCAR® is collaborating with Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh on a feature film entitled Logan Lucky, starring Channing Tatum alongside Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, Adam Driver and Seth MacFarlane. Depicting a theoretical heist at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the project will mark Soderbergh's first feature film since announcing his retirement from the film industry in 2013. Soderbergh, who also directed heist film Ocean's Eleven, is best known for his work on the critically acclaimed Trafficand Erin Brockovich, which garnered him two Oscar nominations and the accolade of Best Director.

This will not be Tatum's first experience working with NASCAR or Soderbergh. He and 22 Jump Street co-star Jonah Hill served as grand marshals for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™ Pocono 400 in 2014, while Tatum and Soderbergh previously teamed up for the Magic Mike films,Haywire and the 2013 thriller Side Effects, which was the most recent film project led by the acclaimed director.

"We are excited to work with Steven, Channing and all of Logan Lucky's incredible cast and producers," said Zane Stoddard, NASCAR vice president of entertainment marketing and content development. "It's a big-hearted, fun story that showcases NASCAR andCharlotte Motor Speedway as the world-class sports entertainment property and venue that they are, much like the Bellagio in Steven'sOcean's Eleven."

Logan Lucky is tentatively scheduled for release in Fall 2017. Mark Johnson, Gregory Jacobs and Reid Carolin are producing. Zane Stoddard is executive producing for NASCAR.

Pre-production filming will begin this weekend at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coca-Cola 600, which airs live on FOX at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, May 29.

Juan Piedrahita leads Freedom 100 practice at Indy

INDIANAPOLIS - Juan Piedrahita on Thursday led opening practice for the Indy Lights Series' Freedom 100 race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway with a speed of 197.957 MPH.

Piedrahita was followed by Zach Veach, RC Enerson, Ed Jones and Felix Serralles to round out the Top-5.

Heamin Choi finished last (16th place) in the session with a speed of 193.379 MPH.

NASCAR tweaks rules for Kentucky, Michigan races

NASCAR Statement by Kenny Bruce.

Changes to the rear spoiler, front splitter and rear deck fin will be put into play for two upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as the sanctioning body continues to reduce aerodynamic downforce and sideforce in an effort to promote closer competition on the race track. 

The changes, announced Thursday morning, will be in effect only for upcoming races atMichigan International Speedway (June 12) andKentucky Speedway (July 9) and are in addition to previous adjustments made by the officials in recent weeks.

Initial moves implemented before the start of the season combined with a Goodyear tire matched more closely to the lower downforce package have resulted in closer competition through the season's first 12 races. Why, then, continue to make adjustments in the overall package?

"I think we look at it as a never-ending journey; if we can improve we're going to do that," Steve O'Donnell, executive vice president of competition and chief racing development officer, told NASCAR.com. "We wanted to go the direction of low downforce, see how that worked, not kind of go all the way in and hope that we are directionally right. And we are seeing that play out. We've seen some great racing at the beginning of the year."

"But we also knew that we had some more levers that we could pull if the direction kind of proved out, so we've tried some of those things. We've tested it and what we've also wanted to do is lower some of the corner speeds to allow for even more passing. That was one of the areas where we've seen minimal change, but there are some levers we can pull to really drive that down."

The changes for those races consist of a reduction in spoiler height from 3.5 inches to 2.5 inches, a splitter reduction of two inches and a re-sizing of the rear deck fin to complement the spoiler change.

Beginning with this year's race atKansas Speedway, NASCAR required teams to weld truck arm mounts; for the recently completed Sprint All-Star Race atCharlotte Motor Speedway, downforce-generating electric fans were removed and the rear toe alignment was reset to zero to reduce sideforce.

The changes to truck arm mounts and fans are to remain in place for the remainder of the 2016 season. The rear toe adjustment was initially only in play for the All-Star event but now will be incorporated into the June Michigan and July Kentucky races.

Downforce is the pressure created across the surface of a vehicle at speed. Likewise, sideforce is generated by the flow of air along the sides of the vehichle.

O'Donnell said limiting the latest changes to two upcoming races is beneficial in two ways: Teams have spent plenty of time in development of setups with the initial base package and that information will still be relevant; and focusing on two tracks will give teams and officials much-needed information as they look ahead to 2017.

"We have worked collectively on some directions we want to go in, but to do that right we think the final step is to let that play out on one or two tracks," he said. "And these are the two -- Kentucky and Michigan -- that we've played out and let the teams concentrate really on what they've done to prepare for the year. We think that's manageable and that'll give us enough data to look at for 2017."

Four teams recently tested the aero changes while taking part in a one-day Goodyear tire test at Michigan. Kentucky, which just completed a re-pave and redesign of its 1.5-mile layout, remains an unknown. It is expected to be fast with the additional grip provided by the new pavement.

Ray Evernham, winner of three premier series titles as crew chief for Jeff Gordon and currently in a competition role with Hendrick Motorsports, said rule changes don't necessarily create more work for teams, but rather redefines the focus of what's being worked on.

"Everybody works on something, no matter what," Evernham told NASCAR.com. "… It just changes that focus because any of the good teams are working to the maximum on something all the time."

Evernham said he had been impressed with how the previous changes had affected the racing this season. The All-Star Race, he said, provided "the best racing we've seen at Charlotte in awhile.

"That's what's coming around the corner. That's exactly what everybody has been asking for -- the drivers, fans, everybody," he said. "That was some darn good racing in the daytime and in the nighttime. That's what I'm focused on. I think that NASCAR and Goodyear and the teams are getting to a place now where the cars are competitive like they want them, but it gives the drivers, crew chiefs and teams a lot more options to have passing."

All races with the rules package, with the exception of this year's stop atAuto Club Speedway, have been contested on 1.5-mile or smaller venues. The package is not in play for restrictor-plate races at Daytona and Talladega.

Will the base package provide similar results at the larger venues? Pocono (2.5 miles), Michigan (2 miles) and Indianapolis (2.5 miles) loom ahead.

O'Donnell believes that will be the case.

"I think one of the biggest things we've seen from Goodyear is the ability to match the tire up now with where we're going, the tire wear we're seeing producing much better racing," O'Donnell said. "If you take a Michigan for instance, one of the things with low downforce, if you don't do anything to the tire, you're going to go in and the speeds are going to continue to increase. We know that's a challenge for us. How do we balance that with the corner speeds?

"By tweaking the package a little bit, it's really going to keep what we've seen from the positive play out and then really lower that corner speed which should produce the best of both worlds."

Hall's Call: 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class revealed

NASCAR Statement.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Two phenomenally successful contemporary car owners, a champion driver-turned-beloved-broadcaster, a driver with a prolific winning history and the man described as NASCAR racing's "original car owner" are the newly elected members of the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
 
NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France introduced the new inductees on Wednesday at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, calling this group of five perhaps "the greatest class yet."
 
The new members, selected from a group of 20 nominees, include 1973 NASCAR Sprint CupSeries champion and 1975 Daytona 500 winner Benny Parsons, who later became one of the most revered television broadcasters in the sport's history; team owner Rick Hendrick, who has notched a record 11 NASCAR Sprint CupSeries titles; driver Mark Martin, whose 96 career victories across NASCAR's three national touring series are sixth all-time; car owner Raymond Parks, whose cars won the first NASCAR modified title in 1948 and NASCAR's first premier series title a year later; and car owner Richard Childress, whose pairing with Hall of Fame driver Dale Earnhardt produced six championships and 67 victories in NASCAR's top division.
 
Martinsville Speedway founder H. Clay Earles is this year's recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Parsons, who succumbed to lung cancer on Jan. 16, 2007, was named on 85 percent of ballots cast by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Committee. Parsons had been on the ballot for eight years.
 
"This is the biggest honor of Benny's life," said Terri Parsons, his widow. "It summarizes everything he has ever worked toward. Every job he has ever had, be it as a race car driver in all divisions, host of NASCAR radio shows, NASCAR color commentator for TV networks each were just as important to him as the next.
 
"He lived his life for NASCAR fans and helping to make the sport of auto racing a better sport for them to enjoy. I know he is smiling his big smile tonight saying, 'Unbelievable!' "
 
In a career that spanned 25 years, Parsons won 21 Sprint Cup races in 526 starts, but he was a top-10 machine, recording 283 for a staggering percentage of 53.8.
 
Hendrick, who received 62 percent of the vote, has won car owner titles in the Sprint Cup Series with three different drivers -- six withJimmie Johnson, four with Jeff Gordon and one with fellow Hall of Famer Terry Labonte. Hendrick's 242 owner wins in the premier series rank second all-time.
 
"I'm extremely proud to go in with Benny Parsons and Mark Martin, who drove for me, and then Richard Childress, who's one of my closest friends in the sport," Hendrick said. "Parks… I watched the video on him, and he kind of helped the sport get started.
 
"So I'm really humbled to be in the position I'm in. I've been doing it now for 33 years, and I hope that we've got some more things to accomplish, but I'm very, very appreciative of the fact that I got voted in while I’m still racing."
 
Martin, who garnered 57 percent of the vote, boasts the highest Sprint Cup victory total (40) of any eligible driver not already inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. In addition, Martin has 49 NASCAR XFINITY Series wins to his credit (second all-time), along with seven wins in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
 
His 56 Sprint Cup poles rank seventh on the all-time list.

Martin, who was runner-up in the final Sprint Cupstandings on five occasions, most recently in 2009 at age 50, described his selection to the Hall of Fame as the "crown jewel of my career."

"I didn't expect it," Martin said. "And I'm so grateful to the people who helped me get there… I have so many great memories of the sport. The class that I'm being inducted in, I’m humbled to no end."
 
Parks, named on 53 percent of the ballots, funded his racing operations through his successful real estate ventures in Atlanta. With mechanic Red Vogt tuning his cars, Parks dominated stock car racing in the 1940s and 1950s, teaming with Red Byron to win the inaugural modified title in 1948 and the first premier series championship in 1949.
 
Also included on Parks' roster of drivers over the years were Bob Flock, Roy Hall, Fonty Flock and NASCAR Hall of Famer Curtis Turner. Park, who has been on the Hall of Fame ballot for eight years, passed away in 2010 at age 96.
 
Childress, who was included on 43 percent of voting panel ballots, started his career as a driver but found considerably more success in the sport as an owner. In addition to the races and titles he won with Earnhardt, Childress holds 11 owner's championship trophies in NASCAR's top three series, second only to Hendrick's 14.
 
Childress performed the posthumous induction of close friend and driver Dale Earnhardt into the first NASCAR Hall of Fame Class.
 
"I was really, really honored and proud that day," Childress said. "I didn't really expect to get in because I was told that the only way you were going to get in was to retire or be deceased -- and I sure liked the first one better, and I haven't got plans to retire yet either."
 
Landmark Award winner Earles had a simple business philosophy that madeMartinsville Speedway one of the most pre-eminent short tracks in the country.
 
"The secret to success in our business is giving the customer what he wants," Earles said before his death in 1999. "When a man plunks down his money, he deserves the best. You try to make him comfortable, give him a great show and make sure he gets his money's worth. And we've always tried to do just that.
 
"Your customers are your greatest assets, and that will never change. You actually sell the customer a memory as much as a race. If their memories are good, they’ll keep coming back."
 
Note: Hendrick and Childress will field a combined seven cars in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600at Charlotte Motor Speedway (6 p.m. ET on FOX).

Historic sellout marks 100th running of the Indy 500

INDYCAR Statement.

INDIANAPOLIS, Wednesday, May 25, 2016 - Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials announced the first sellout in the history of the Indianapolis 500 Mile Race today. All suites, reserved seating and infield General Admission tickets for the 100th Running of the Indy 500 presented by PennGrade Motor Oil are sold out.

"There's no event in the world like the Indy 500," said Hulman & Company CEO Mark Miles. "This sellout is a testament to the enduring legacy of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing, the thrilling racing of the Verizon IndyCar Series and the bright future for both."

"The Indy 500 is a uniquely Hoosier event," said Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles. "The community support for the this race has fueled excitement for the 100th Running and paves the way for the next century for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indy 500."

In conjunction with the sellout, it was announced that the long-standing practice of delaying the television broadcast in Indianapolis will be suspended for 2016. This is only the third time the race will be broadcast live on Central Indiana television and the first time since the early 1950's.

"With no way to accommodate more fans at IMS, we are delighted to be able to suspend the television delay in Indianapolis, making it possible for those cannot be with us on Race Day to watch the 100th Running live. The traditional delayed coverage on WRTV will continue, so race fans who attend the race will be able to go home with their families and watch the broadcast Sunday evening."

On May 6, IMS officials announced a sellout of reserved seating for the race. This included all grandstand seating, suite hospitality and several temporary suites built in turns 1 and 2. General Admission tickets continued to be available for purchase via the IMS ticketing office. Steady and increased demand for GA tickets led to today's announcement. The Indy 500 Snake Pit presented by Coors Light is sold out as well. Tickets for Carb Day and Legends Day still remain. 

While the Indianapolis Motor Speedway does not release official attendance numbers, the Indy 500 is the largest single day sporting event on the planet.

"What makes the Indianapolis 500 so special to our fans is the overall experience. It is more than just cars on track," said Boles. "As demand continued to increase following the reserved seating announcement, we reached a point where it became necessary to stop selling GA tickets to preserve the infield experience."

100th Running celebrations have been fueled by an action-packed 100 Day Countdown that began with a midnight party on the Yard of Bricks as the clock turned to Feb. 19. Festivities have been supported by the 100th Running Host Committee, a group of community volunteers and donors that have visited all 92 counties and activated several community programs to increase anticipation for the 100th Running.