By Mark Hansel
NKyTribune Managing Editor
Weather was the story again for much of the day Friday at Kentucky Speedway as intermittent showers hampered preparation for the XFINITY and Sprint Cup series races.
The morning Sprint Cup practice session began on time at 10:30 a.m., but was halted after just 49 minutes when rain forced drivers off the track.
Kyle Larson will start the Quaker State 400 presented by Advance Auto Parts from the pole.
The starting lineup was set using speeds from the opening practice where Larson posted the top speed of 182.537. The pole is the second of Larson’s Sprint Cup Series career.
Sprint Cup drivers spent much of the afternoon in the garage, working on cars with their pit crews and waiting for an opportunity to get back on the track.
A much anticipated press conference for Jeff Gordon, who has announced his retirement at the end of the season and will be making his final start at Kentucky Speedway Saturday, was moved back to give drivers some additional time on track.
Gordon waited in his No. 24 AARP Member Advantages Chevrolet SS for nearly an hour before drivers were finally allowed to resume a practice session of about 90 minutes.
Overcast skies don’t deter fans
Rain also hampered activities for fans early in the day, but as the storms let up, many emerged from their campsites to have a look around.
David and Angie Turner of Huntington, Tennessee, had a premium spot in the Millionaire’s Row Campground with all the comforts of home, including satellite television.
Despite the wealth of amenities, they braved the threatening skies to head down to the merchandise trailers and the infield for a while.
David Turner’s favorite driver is Dale Earnhardt Jr., while Angie is a Jeff Gordon fan. They estimated spending “a couple hundred dollars” on souvenirs during their first trip to Kentucky Speedway and were very impressed with the track.
“It’s a nice campground, probably the best I’ve seen,” Angie Turner, who has been going to NASCAR races for more than 20 years, said.
David Turner said the rain was a little bit of a disappointment, and they scheduled an extra day of vacation, just in case, but did not expect the storms to disrupt the actual races.
“It’s supposed to clear up tomorrow and we’ll definitely be back,” he said. “We might buy our tickets for next year before we leave.”
Confederate flags fly high
The removal of the Confederate battle flag at the South Carolina Statehouse Thursday marked the end of an era in the South, but the crossed stars continue to adorn NASCAR campsites.
While not displayed as prominently as at some other NASCAR events, Confederate flags dotted the Kentucky Speedway landscape.
Rick Dregne of Kenosha, Wisconsin, had the crossed stars flying high above his camper in the infield of the Sparta track.
“When I think of the Confederate flag, I think of the South and that’s all,” Dregne said. “I don’t mean any disrespect to anybody.”
Dregne, 54, said the flag has been prominent at NASCAR races for years and he doesn’t see any reason to stop the tradition.
“As you can see, I also have the ‘Stars and Stripes’ flying right along with it,” Dregne said.
Gordon gets spirited farewell gift
The farewell tour continued for Gordon, who is attempting to win at the only track on the current NASCAR Sprint Cup Schedule where victory has eluded him.
“It’s the only one left on the list, so it would mean a lot to accomplish that,” Gordon said. “It wouldn’t mean so much to me if I hadn’t won at all the other ones. I’d like to have a good finish here and have a shot at it and it would be pretty cool if we pulled it off.”
Gordon has run well at Kentucky Speedway, managing top-ten finishes in each of the first four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races here. If Gordon wins, he will be the first driver to win at every track on the current Sprint Cup Series schedule.
As a thank you for Gordon’s contribution to NASCAR and Kentucky Speedway, the Kentucky Distillers Association presented Gordon with 96 bottles of bourbon.
Four Roses, Jim Beam, Michter’s and Wild Turkey each gave the four-time Sprint Cup Series champion 24 bottles and each bottle featured a special, one-of-a-kind autographed label.
The distillers association also presented Gordon with a trunk full of glassware, barware and other gifts as a memento of his time in Kentucky, which produces 95 percent of the world’s supply of bourbon whiskey.
”Knowing Jeff, we wanted to provide him with a gift he can share with many of the people who have touched his career,” said Mark Simendinger, Kentucky Speedway general manager. “We are honored that he has competed here and hope these bottles of Kentucky’s very best bourbon bring him much happiness and fond memories of the Commonwealth.”
Keselowski takes XFINITY Series race
Brad Keselowski took advantage of a late-race opportunity to capture the Kentucky 300 XFINITY Series race Friday night.
Keselowski passed Erik Jones, who was slowed by a lapped car, and led the final nine laps to secure the victory.
“Erik drove a great race,” Keselowski said. “I was able to hang with him just enough to pressure him and he got in a bad spot with a lapped car, not really of his own fault, just part of racing, and when it happened I was able to jump all over it.”
The 19-year-old Jones continued to press Keselowski to the end of the race and the 0.241 of a second difference margin of victory represented the second-closest XFINITY Series finish at Kentucky Speedway.
The win was the third in XFINITY Series competition and fifth time overall for Keslowski at the 1.5-mile track.
The driver of the No. 22 Team Penske Ford accepted the winner’s trophy, a Crosley Brand Jukebox.
Keselowski, who starts in the front row at the Quaker State 400 alongside pole-sitter Larson, can add to his collection if he takes the Sprint Cup Series race Saturday, which also offers a juke box as its trophy.