A limited number of playing spots are available. Fans can choose from three donation options: A $250 donation offers a pre-tournament, VIP meet-and-greet with drivers and celebrities on hand as well as entry to participate in the Poker Showdown; a $150 donation reserves a seat in the poker tournament; and, a $50 donation allows for fans to attend the event as spectators. The top-finishing fan will receive their choice of an all-expense paid trip to Mohegan Sun in Montville, CT or a VIP Pocono Raceway race weekend experience.

To register for the Pocono Celebrity Poker Showdown, fans can visit NASCAR.COM/Unites.

“We are very excited about the opportunity to team up with two charitable organizations,” said Brandon Igdalsky, Pocono Raceway’s President and CEO. “Race fans will have the chance to play against some of NASCAR’s top drivers and personalities, with all proceeds benefiting the efforts of The NASCAR Foundation and the Armed Forces Foundation. We anticipate a great event and sincerely thank all involved, especially Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs for all their support.”

NASCAR superstar Kurt Busch will participate in the Pocono Celebrity Charity Poker Showdown and said “Both the NASCAR Foundation and Armed Forces Foundation do a lot of work to help their respective communities and in order to do that they depend greatly on the generosity of people who can contribute It’s great that Pocono Raceway is helping in this way with the poker tournament. It’s just a fun way to raise money and draw attention to the work of the two groups.”

“We’re so pleased to partner with the Pocono Celebrity Charity Poker Showdown on this charitable event benefitting the NASCAR Foundation and the Armed Forces Foundation,” said Bobby Soper, CEO, Mohegan Sun at Pocono Downs. “The spirit of racing is in our DNA and we look forward to a successful poker showdown.”

The driver(team) lineup included: AJ Allmendinger (Penske Racing), Aric Almirola (Richard Petty Motorsports), Matt Crafton (ThorSport Racing), Austin Dillon (Richard Childress Racing), Joey Logano (Joe Gibbs Racing), Kasey Kahne (Hendrick Motorsports) and Jamie McMurray (Earnhardt Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates).

Pocono Raceway President/CEO, Brandon Igdalsky: “Thank you all for coming up today. First up is driver of the No. 88 Menards Toyota Tundra in the Camping World Truck Series, Matt Crafton. Matt, I’ll turn it over to you. What is the difference you see from last year to this year?”

Matt Crafton: “One thing, it’s a lot smoother. Lord, it’s got a lot of grip! They did an awesome job with the repaving and the racetrack. We’re already faster than what the track record was by a good bit. They outdid themselves on the pavement. It’s definitely one groove right now, but I’m sure, as you get more racecars on the track, they’ll be running side-by-side, and it’ll be interesting to see. Right now, everyone is running the bottom lane, which is the fastest.”

How would you compare the last two times you guys were here with the Trucks?

Crafton: “One of the things that I talked to one of the officials about was my projection that before the race, I think they’ll need to do what they did in Phoenix, drag tires around it. Right now, it’s just a single route. I stepped a foot out of the groove and you could hear stuff kicking up, and that’s why everybody is running that preferred groove right now. Once they get the track cleaned up, I’m sure the groove will move around some, especially down there in 1 and 2. The trucks right now, last time I was out, I ran pretty much every lap, including the tunnel turn wide open. It was intense, very intense. In the truck, I’m only out of the throttle 30% for a very short period of time. Why I’m doing percentages, I actually have all that data on the truck, so I’m actually seeing how much I’m lifting to see if I’m lying to them or not. It’s very interesting. It will be a great race once they clean up the track. It’s going to be fun.”

Matt, the temperatures are definitely going to change between now, and the race in June.

Crafton: “You think so. (Laughs)”

Considering you’re wearing a hat I would say so! (Laughs) Do you think that is going to change the way everyone is going to run?

Crafton: “I don’t think so. I mean, it might change the set-up a little bit. The track might lose grip because it’s not going to be as cool. That’s going to be one of the biggest things. Last year was pretty cool, as well, when we raced, but it’s just going to lose grip and lose a little bit of time.”

Matt can we get you to talk about your Truck season so far?

Crafton: “The first two were absolutely horrendous. It was nothing that was our doing. We got caught up in a wreck at Daytona, imagine that! And then Martinsville, we had an alternator go bad. At Rockingham, had a blast there (by the way), finished third and led a good part of that race. Things are turning around. We’re definitely getting better.”

So Matt you’ve had a lot of success before Pocono got repaved, so when you have something like this, when a track gets repave, is it still a bit of an edge for you because of that past experience or do you not like it because that kind of levels the playing field for everybody else?

Crafton: “I mean, the thing is, I thought I was a rookie here. About two years ago was my first time here and I had never seen Pocono, besides TV. I mean that was all I’d seen of this place. When I came down to the race track for the first time, I didn’t make one pace lap around it when I went out there. Everybody always talks about the tunnel turn, and you have no idea how tight that tunnel is. TV doesn’t do it justice at all. I took my crew chief around it (earlier today) in my truck, and I said, ‘Yeah, I think we’ll be wide open through here.’ He goes (jokingly), ‘You’re an idiot. (Laughs) There’s no way.’ I said, ‘I guarantee it.’ It was the third lap, I was about 10% out right there, and he just couldn’t believe that. So, it’s very cool. I love coming to the place. It’s like they always say, it’s like a road course but kind of going in a circle, but it’s a blast. My first year, I finished third. Lots of fun.”

How do you feel about what Goodyear brought you guys these last few days?

Crafton: “We just got out there. All of the tires are great. Everything is good there, so far. I think the Cup guys are testing different Goodyear tires, right now.”

How many laps do you project to be able to run flat-out in the tunnel turn?

Crafton: “I think it all depends if you’re in traffic. If you have clean air on the nose, you’re going to be able to run quite a few laps all but wide open in the tunnel turn. It takes a lot to make yourself do it really; it’s really a (funny) feeling, to be honest.

Igdalsky: “We’re going to switch over to Kasey and Jaime now, so Matt can go grab some lunch and relax. Welcome driver of the No. 1 McDonald’s Chevrolet, Jamie McMurray and Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 5 Farmers Insurance Chevrolet. What do you guys think of our track now compared to last year? Are you going flat out through turn 2? (Laughs)”

Kahne: “No, I’m not, but the track feels great. I mean as far as the grip, and the way rubber is that we put down a little bit yesterday and this morning, it’s smoother. It still has the same transitions, the same rolling hills in spots that Pocono has always been known for. To me, it’s really good. The biggest thing is figuring out a tire with Goodyear. Now that Goodyear has given us a tire that we’ll be able to race on, we’ll be able to put rubber on the track and move around a little when we come back. I think that is the biggest thing. I think Pocono did a nice job repaving, they had to, and now we have to figure the right tire to make the racing as good as it can be with the fresh track.”

McMurray: “I think they did an amazing job on the repave. I was really concerned because the track was so rough and when they did Talladega, it was super smooth. As soon as they repaved Daytona, it still had bumps in it, in different places than what it had before. So, I didn’t know when we got here, if it was going to still be rough, you know smoother, but rough. But, (they did a) really good job on the repave on how smooth the track is. I think the most important thing, when we come back here for the race is, if we can get them to do something like they did at Phoenix, where they drug some tires to try to widen the groove out a little bit. There’s a fairly narrow groove right now. I haven’t really ventured out because you’re going so fast, there’s not really any room for error if you get into the grey where there hasn’t been rubber laid down yet, but the track has a lot of grab. Kasey is having to do all the work with tires. The control tire that we’re on is really nice. I don’t know what they tried, but that tire has a lot of grip. It feels good immediately when you pull out. When they first did the repaves, I remember going to Vegas, and some of those places, and I felt like it was a struggle for Goodyear to give me something that felt good on stickers and full of fuel. It’s come a long way. When I pulled out this morning I couldn’t believe the amount of grip the track had immediately. “

Kahne: “I agree with that and what Jamie was saying about the rubber on the race track. That’s the biggest thing, getting that rubber there. One thing we had at Phoenix, on that big track, is you would go back to the hotel at night and come back in the morning, and even with the rubber there, it was still really slippery when we would take some laps. Here, with the little bit of rubber we put yesterday, and back on it this morning, it didn’t get near as dirty. So, I think the biggest thing is just to get all the dirt and dust off the track that’s out there now. We’ve got that on the bottom lane, we just got to keep working that up and work the entry. If we can get help with that, it will make for a really nice place.”

Kasey, you’re the track record holder here and obviously with the new repave everybody is excited about what will become of the speeds here. What do you think is going to happen come qualifying day?

Kasey: “I don’t know. It’s tough to say because when the temperatures come up, when we come back here to race, it’s usually a lot warmer. That will change the grip of the track, but as far as today goes, you know the old track record is 52.16, or 52.18, somewhere in there, and I’ve run a 51.50 today. I would say it’s definitely going to get broke; it’s just by how much. It should be a good bit.”

With the repave and also of the shortening of the race to 400 miles, how much more attractive do these two races become for the driver? We used to hear complaints from driver saying you know it used to seem like a racetrack you didn’t particularly look forward to. Will it become more attractive to all the racers now?

McMurray: (Looks at Brandon Igdalsky) “What did it cost to repave it?”

Igdalsky: “A lot! (Laughs) In private company, I’ll tell you.”

McMurray: “I mean for me, I’m looking forward to the race. I hated this place. It was my least favorite track to come to. I don’t know why, I just never really cared for Pocono. After the few laps today with the speed and grip that it has, from my perspective, other than maybe Denny Hamlin who ran really well here every time, I think most guys will like this a lot more. Being a driver, just a lot more grip. Gosh, I mean certainly everyone will ask you about the tire test when we get to Richmond this weekend and I’ll have nothing but really good things to say about it.”

Kahne: “I think it’s good. The thing you can look forward to is as more cars get here, more rubber on the racetrack, you can start moving around the track. You know, this place takes a beating in the winter time, and even in the summer, it’s hot. So, it will widen out quickly and that’s what makes good racing. As long as Goodyear is giving us good tires, that fall of and everything that we look for in a tire, I think the track is going to be great. We’re going to want to come up here and race more often than what maybe we have in the past.”

So, you guys have both had rough starts to your seasons, at least in the beginning. Is it kind of an unexpected bonus to have a tire test like this that can help you beyond just Pocono where you can get the extra track time and come back and have a really good day and help you overall or is it just at Pocono?

McMurray: “If there wasn’t two days of testing before the race it would probably be like an advantage, but there’s so much testing before you get back there that I don’t think it’s much of an advantage.”

Kahne: “Nope. Me neither, no. It’s nice to test, but were going to get to make plenty of laps here prior to Sunday’s race.”

Jamie you said going back and talking to some of the other drivers they would have questions. How curious are the other guys and drivers? What will they say and what will you tell them? And, do you tell them everything when you go back and start talking about this?

McMurray: “I think most guys; the talk before we got here was, after Michigan and running 215 MPH, how fast we would be running into turn 1 here. We don’t really seem to be running tremendously faster overall speed; it’s just that the mid-corner speed is way, way quicker. When you first go out on the track you’ve come to for some many years, you have marks picked out on the wall on where you brake and you kind of know when you get back to the gas. It’s really hard to make your brain, our foot, and butt want to drive in deeper and get back to the gas quicker and know the car will stick. It took me ten laps to just kind of convince myself that you don’t have to brake at the same points you have for the past ten years of racing here. Speeds are the biggest concern after the Michigan test. The tires fall off, and like Kasey said, the most critical thing for us to put on a good show is to have drop off in the tires. That’s hard for Goodyear to do when you get eat and wear issues, but I like the control tire. It’s a good tire.”

Kasey, Jamie alluded to it with coming here for so many years. How tough is it to erase that slate of what you’ve done in the past and start fresh?

Kahne: “It’s tough. It’s also tough because the track still feels the same. Like I was saying before, there are these hills, like the rolling hills going into the tunnel turn that lifts and drops when you’re going into the corner. The track still feels the same, but there’s a lot more grip. You kind of have to floor it, or drive past that point, so it’s a lot different.”

Does Pocono Raceway still have the three-most toughest corners in NASCAR?

Kahne: “It’s still the three most different corners in NASCAR (laughter). And every one of them can be tough. “

With the bumps being gone, how does the track feel?

Kahne: “It felt good.”

McMurray: “I think bumps are good, but this (place) was ridiculous with the amount of bumps and the waviness the way the track used to be. This was the track that was most overdue to be repaved. It will develop some bumps again. I feel pretty good about that (now). I’m totally okay with the track not having bumps like it did before. It was time to repave this place.”

Kasey, can you talk a little bit about your season?

Kahne: “We kind of got off to a rough start. We didn’t finish the races where we wanted to, but we’ve been qualifying well. We’ve had fast race cars. Every race that something went wrong in, before it happened, we were running in the top five and we were fast. I feel like we’re in good shape. We could be a lot better in points, but I feel as a team, car wise and engine wise, we’re very competitive. We need to keep working at it. I think to make the Chase, we’ll have to win a couple of races, and kind of get that wild card. I think it will be very hard to get to the top 10 from where we are at in the points (because) the competition is so tough these days and so close. We really need to figure out how to win, but we’re definitely not too far off. We have some things to gain. I’ve learned there are some things I need to tweet. These cars have a different balance where they change from practice to qualifying to race. All that stuff is a lot different than (the way) it’s been in the past for me. Getting the balance when the race starts has been the most difficult part for me. We’re getting close and we’ve had a couple of top 10’s the last two weeks, so I think we’re making gains. We still have a ways to go to catch up to our teammates and the other guys who are really running well this year.”

Jamie, you’ve had some changes over the offseason. How has that affected the team’s performance this year?

McMurray: “The car have been quite a bit quicker. We honestly have gone from running 20th to 22nd, to running 12th to 14th each week now. If we have a good day, we can finish in the top 10. If we have a rough day, it seems like we finish 15th or 16th now, which is a big improvement from where we were. I think with the amount of changes we made in the offseason, we’ve still developing the simulation program and are trying to find a lot of pieces on the car that we want to stick with. There is still some testing going one. I said in August, I didn’t expect to hire all these people and show up to, not necessarily Daytona, but to Phoenix, the second race, and all of a sudden be back to where we were in 2010. We’re headed in the right direction. Our simulation program is getting better every week. I think any driver will attest to that’s where (the sport) is right now. When you show up, you have to be really close in order to have a good weekend. When they make changes to the car, they seem to correlate to what the computer says. I think if we can keep growing from where we were we started in the offseason, I feel pretty good about it. Juan (Pablo Montoya) had a good car last week, so that’s promising when you have better cars.”

Jamie, how important was it to be able to keep your crew chief through those offseason changes?

McMurray: “It’s been important for our team, for sure. We hired so many engineers, that it was nice to be able to have Bono (Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion – crew chief) stay and have a what you would call a ‘racer’ be a part of your team and not have as much of a disruption as what the rest of the organization had seen.”

Jamie, it doesn’t sound like you were overly excited about Pocono, but do you have a sense of relief now knowing the fact that you have a couple of laps under your belt now with the new pavement?

McMurray: “The only reason I didn’t like Pocono was because I was slow here every time, even in 2010, at the bigger tracks. At Pocono, I would have 1 or 2 good laps, and then by 20 laps, I would be way off. I just didn’t like it. I didn’t run well. I know most guys would tell you they like tracks they finish well at. It’s not the same Pocono. It’s so much different than what we had. Not just because of the bumps, but because there is not as much tire fall off. I am looking forward to the race. I don’t know how to act more excited to you. I’m very excited!”

Igdalsky: “We’d like to welcome in AJ Allmendinger, driver of the No. 22 Penske Racing Doge. AJ, please touch on what you think about the new racing surface?”

A.J. Allmendinger:” I’m sure it’s no different than what they said. It’s a lot smoother and has a lot more grip. It’s ultimately about finding the right tire combination, which is hard to do when it is cooler out. When we come back here, it will probably be 90 degrees and raining at some point. Then it’ll be 70 degrees. It probably won’t be as cold as it is right now. Overall, it’s fun to come to track and be surprised to find out how much grip level is already from where we started. They did a really good job here paving it. Even though the track was dirty, from the first lap on, it still had a pretty good grip level. From there on, it was just getting the track clean. Today was all about finding the right tire combinations, so far. All the combinations they have are a pretty good choice; it’s just a matter of what they actually use.”

Igdalsky: “We also have Aric Almirola, driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Ford. I’ll ask you the same question, what are your thoughts about the track?”

Aric Almirola: “I’m pleasantly surprised of the track. I ran trucks and ARCA here in 2007. The track has a lot of grip and is fast. I’m just learning. You know I talked to Jamie and he said it was a good thing that I don’t have any preconceived notions about Pocono. I think a lot of people, that have had success, just kind of show up and have figured it out and some didn’t. Denny ran really good here when he first showed up. For me, it’s just a new race track in a Cup car. I didn’t really come in with any expectations, just learning.”

Can you talk a little about how difficult it is to erase how you have raced here in the past and what you are learning during the test?

Allmendinger: “You know for me, it’s not that difficult, because I really struggled here last year. You have to come here with the new race track and to learn it. It’s good to get a day-and-a-half in. And, obviously, come back here and get a lot of practice time before we get back out there for the actual race. Trying to get an idea, more than anything, just get out here and try to learn some things. We’re trying to get a baseline to start with. As the weekend goes on, it’s going to change, probably. More than anything, we try to get a baseline to bring back. So far, I have really enjoyed the race track.”

Igdalsky: “Austin Dillon, defending Camping World Truck Series drivers, testing a Truck for Richard Childress Racing, has now joined us. Austin, what are your thoughts on the track and running here with the trucks? And, what are your thoughts about running on the old surface last year to the new surface this year?”

Austin Dillon: “Well, the track is very fast. We’re just working on adjusting the new grooves right now. It’s fun. I’m happy to be driving it. It’s like driving a go cart out there. (There is a) lot of grip out there and pretty much wide open for us. Turns 1 and 2 you are gaining a lot of speed. It’s very wide open, especially; the turns are close to wide open. “

AJ, talk a little about your season. Also, what is it like to drive for Roger Penske?

Allmendinger: “It’s been really good, except for the finishes. We have had fast race cars; we have just had everything go wrong. Those are problems we need to fix on our race team when it comes to minor mechanical problems that we’ve had. The good thing is, we have been very fast. Last week, we sat at the poll and led until we pitted. Then, we had our problems after that. Our race cars are fast. And, driving for Roger, I’m not as patient as he is. Looking at our finishes, I’m so frustrated with myself and our race team. They deserve to be up there. They are used to being in the front. He keeps telling me to be patient. A guy like that, for me, is an honor to drive for, kind of like driving for Richard Petty. Being able to drive for those guys, back-to-back has been pretty amazing. Roger, from my background, was always the guy I wanted to drive for, in open-wheel racing. And just to be able to drive for him in the Sprint Cup Series has been an honor. I feel lucky every time I get to go to the race shop and to be part of this race team. It’s just an honor. I know when all the bad problems stop, we will be up front.”

Igdalsky: “Joey Logano, driver of the No. 20 Home Depot Toyota from Joe Gibbs Racing is also here. Joey, what are your thoughts about the repave?”

Joey Logano: “I’m pleasantly surprised on how quick the track came in. We started a little late yesterday, obviously, because of the weather. You look at the track, it looks slick, and it was a little dirty. Once it got cleaned off, the track got quick. Speeds have been getting quicker as expected. I really was expecting it to be ice out there. Now, it has a lot of grip. It will probably get faster come qualifying. You can see the lanes starting to move up a little bit. You can see the right side of the car arching a little more in the corner. That’s all good things for the races with just a couple cars here now. Once you get a series here of 43 cars, it will rubber in a hurry. It will be interesting to see how much it moves around, but right now, it is so far, so good. It still has the same characteristics. It’s still Pocono. Same track, but it’s definitely a lot smoother.”

Joey, we asked a couple of these guys the same question. Past experience here, how do you look at it now? Is it difficult to block out? Everybody has their certain spots their used to running here. How about you?

Logano: “Turn 1, my first time out here, I just got murdered. I couldn’t figure out that corner. Last year, I got the poll and led a couple laps before we got a flat tire. Being able to get in there and point your car, you just had no grip. Sliding in there at four-wheel speed, I had to figure out how to get my car pointed. Long Pond Straightaway is very long, and it’s all about getting the throttle down. That part hasn’t changed. But you aren’t four-wheel sliding all the way through there anymore. There is more grip. I kept telling myself, ‘Foot off the break. Foot off the break. Rolling more speed, rolling more speed.’”

What’s the difference between the track last year and this year with the new tires?

Logano: “Obviously, the tires are going to be a lot different with the new asphalt. The tires don’t wear out that much. You cool it off and come right back. So, that’s kind of what we expect when we come out here. (Pocono) still got plenty of characteristics. (The) straightaways are long. Restarts have always been crazy here. (But we’ll be) going five-wide as usual.”

Joey you said you won a poll here, Kasey holds the track record. With the new pavement, do you see that being broken?

Logano: “Oh, we shattered it already! (Laughs) When we get into qualifying, it is going to be stupid (fast). Obviously, it’s really cold out right now, and it won’t be that cold when we come back here. The speeds are going to be up when as this place rubbers and it’ll just keep getting quicker. Even today, we are picking up speed. So it wasn’t like Phoenix, where we couldn’t find the balance. It (Phoenix) was so loose, you couldn’t drive it. Then as it rubbered up, it was so tight you couldn’t drive it. The track (Pocono) hasn’t gone through that radical change yet, and that’s good. “

For both of you, is there something else that you would like to test instead of tires?

Dillon: “I think the biggest thing is the traffic. What it’s going to do in traffic? Because it’s bashing wide open, trucks get packed pretty close to each other and (it’s about) how your truck handles behind another (truck). (It will) be pretty important or you will be slammed to the earth. (It will ) be interesting to see. I kind of want to get with Crafton, run behind him, and see what it does.”

Logano: “Our aero platform is a lot more important than it used to be. You change your bump-rubber package and it used to be about getting over those bumps. Now, getting your car to the best aero dynamic position you can and keep it there. We have tried tires and it’s very important for us to come here and collect data. I’ll go back home and talk to my teammates and get back to racing.”

Igdalsky: “Thanks to the drivers and media for joining us for our two-day Goodyear Tire Test. We are looking forward to seeing you all back at ‘The Tricky Triangle’ this summer for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ June 8-10 Pocono 400 & the August 3-5 Pennsylvania 400 race weekends, as well as, the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series’ race weekend from August 3-4.”

The game, billed as Team Dover vs. Team Pocono, marks the first time two NASCAR tracks have joined forces to promote their respective races. Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Fastenal Ford, will lead the Monster Mile squad, while Burton, who pilots the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, will captain “The Tricky Triangle” team.

The teams rosters will be filled out with drivers from the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, as well Philadelphia-area athletes and celebrities, and members of the local media. As they are announced, updated rosters will be posted on our website at www.poconoraceway.com/pocono-vs-dover.html. Additional information can be found on Facebook pages or our Twitter (@poconoraceway) handle. Additionally, you can find information on Dover’s website, their Facebook page or their Twitter (@MonsterMile) handle.

Gates open at 4 p.m. with the game beginning at 4:30 p.m. Following the game, Edwards and Burton will throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the 7:05 p.m. Lancaster Barnstormers vs. Camden Riversharks baseball game.

During the Barnstormers vs. Riversharks game, both tracks will be giving away tickets to their respective NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races each inning — the June 3 “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” race for Dover and the June 10 “Pocono 400” race for Pocono.

Access to the Team Dover vs. Team Pocono celebrity softball game is free with a ticket to that night’s baseball game. Tickets for the Riversharks game start at just $5, and all children ages 16 and younger that wear their NASCAR gear get in free. In addition, the United Way of Camden County offers free admission for any child that wears the uniform of the little league team they play for to the game. For tickets, call 1-866-SHARKS-9 or visit www.riversharks.com.

NASCAR action returns to Dover International Speedway June 1-3, 2012 with the June 3 “FedEx 400 benefiting Autism Speaks” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race, the June 2 “5-hour ENERGY 200” NASCAR Nationwide Series race and the June 1 “Lucas Oil 200” NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race. For tickets or more information, call 800-441-RACE or visit DoverSpeedway.com.

Then, June 8-10, NASCAR’s top national circuit heads north to newly-repaved Pocono Raceway for the “Pocono 400” weekend June 8-10. The racing action kicks off with the “Pocono 200” ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards race on June 9 and will be followed by the “Pocono 400” NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on June 10. For tickets or more information, call 1-800-RACEWAY or visit PoconoRaceway.com.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Saving his equipment for the final green-flag run, NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points leader Greg Biffle finally put a win on the board, cruising to a 3.235-second victory over Jimmie Johnson in Saturday night’s Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Biffle took the lead on Lap 304 of 334 and pulled away to win his first race since Oct. 3, 2010 (at Kansas), his second at Texas and the 17th of his career. Johnson, who led a race-high 156 laps, scraped the wall trying to run down Biffle in the late going.

“I just dug deep,” Biffle said. “I knew I had to do it and kept trying and trying and trying. I knew the team would forgive me if I wrecked it trying to beat him, so I gave it all I had.”

Mark Martin came home third, followed by Jeff Gordon and Matt Kenseth. With Kasey Kahne finishing seventh and Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10th, all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers ran in the top 10, but Biffle denied them their most coveted prize, a 200th Cup victory for team owner Rick Hendrick.

The victory was the first in the Cup series for Biffle’s crew chief, Matt Puccia.

“I could say it’s about time,” said Biffle, who snapped a 49-race winless streak. “But I’m just thankful to be able to drive these cars, as fast as they are. We knew it was a matter of time that we were going to win one soon — we’ve been running so good.”

From the moment he passed pole-sitter Martin Truex Jr. for the lead on Lap 180, Johnson was dominant, as Biffle chased the five-time champion lap after lap through three cycles of green-flag pit stops.

Biffle frequently gained ground when Johnson hit traffic, but the margin would expand when Johnson got to clean air. The lead stayed at roughly one second — give or take — and by the time the race hit Lap 300, Martin in third at 7.8 seconds back was the only other driver within 10 seconds of the leader.

With 34 laps left, however, Biffle turned up the wick. On Lap 304, as Johnson tried to work his way through traffic, the series leader made the pass for the top spot, streaking to the inside of Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet as the cars approached the start/finish line.

Biffle said he was “foaming at the mouth” with Johnson in his sights, but he had to conserve fuel and save his tires for the first few laps of the final run after his last pit stop.

“I was a little short on fuel, so I kind of lifted a little early and let the car roll down through the corners,” said Biffle, who expanded his series lead to 19 points over Earnhardt and Kenseth. “When he started catching a little bit of traffic, that’s when I started going.

“I just pushed as hard as I could, and I was driving the thing sideways around the corner trying to catch him. I could tell I was catching him, and he had a little trouble with traffic.”

Johnson took issue with drivers of lapped cars — particularly the No. 39 of Ryan Newman — who Johnson felt failed to show the respect due a race leader.

“When I caught lapped traffic, some guys that were multiple laps down didn’t show much respect for myself, the leader,” said Johnson, who posted his fifth runner-up finish against one victory at Texas. “Before I knew it, the 16 (Biffle) was there inside of me and got by.

“We ran with him for the next eight or 10 laps, and then I made a mistake into (Turn) 3 and hit the fence. At that point, I just needed to make sure I brought it home. A great night, all in all. I certainly wish we could be in Victory Lane, but we’ll try again next week.”

The race featured only two cautions and ended with a green-flag run of 234 laps. That was a race record, as were the average speed (160.577 mph), fewest number of cautions and fewest number of caution laps (10).

Notes: Hendrick put four cars in the top 10 for the first time since last year’s spring race at Talladega. . . . Roush Fenway Racing earned its series-best ninth Cup win at Texas. . . . Both Johnson and Martin posted their 13th top-10 at TMS, Johnson in 18 starts, Martin in 23.

RACE RESULTS

1. (3) Greg Biffle, Ford, 334, $540,850.
2. (10) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 334, $361,501.
3. (4) Mark Martin, Toyota, 334, $232,690.
4. (34) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 334, $250,401.
5. (2) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 334, $212,901.
6. (1) Martin Truex, Jr., Toyota, 334, $190,904.
7. (5) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, 334, $148,565.
8. (20) Carl Edwards, Ford, 334, $176,156.
9. (15) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 334, $175,651.
10. (16) Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Chevrolet, 334, $135,940.
11. (17) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 334, $171,863.
12. (13) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 334, $166,221.
13. (27) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 333, $148,638.
14. (9) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 333, $151,513.
15. (12) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 333, $159,805.
16. (25) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 333, $148,546.
17. (18) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 333, $142,794.
18. (11) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 333, $121,980.
19. (14) Joey Logano, Toyota, 333, $120,380.
20. (7) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 333, $139,863.
21. (6) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 332, $149,938.
22. (23) Aric Almirola, Ford, 332, $144,616.
23. (26) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 332, $130,238.
24. (29) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 332, $154,305.
25. (22) Casey Mears, Ford, 331, $117,663.
26. (31) David Reutimann, Chevrolet, 331, $101,380.
27. (30) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 330, $119,413.
28. (19) Trevor Bayne, Ford, 330, $98,255.
29. (24) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 330, $136,230.
30. (28) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 330, $123,350.
31. (35) David Gilliland, Ford, 328, $100,627.
32. (39) Reed Sorenson, Ford, 327, $97,980.
33. (36) JJ Yeley, Toyota, 325, $88,880.
34. (42) Tony Raines, Chevrolet, 323, $95,780.
35. (21) David Ragan, Ford, 313, $86,655.
36. (8) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 312, $123,250.
37. (41) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, Vibration, 228, $84,405.
38. (37) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, Engine, 114, $91,257.
39. (32) Josh Wise, Ford, Vibration, 66, $79,800.
40. (43) Mike Bliss, Toyota, Brakes, 38, $79,650.
41. (33) Michael McDowell, Ford, Vibration, 36, $79,490.
42. (40) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Vibration, 25, $79,395.
43. (38) Scott Speed, Ford, Overheating, 13, $79,724.

The drivers and teams tentatively schedule for the Pocono test are: Jamie McMurray from Earnhardt Ganassi Sabates Racing (Chevy, car # 1); Kasey Kahne, Hendrick Motorsports (Chevy, car # 5 ); Joey Logano, Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota, car # 20); A.J. Allmendinger, Penske Racing (Dodge, car # 22) and Aric Almirola, Richard Petty Motorsports (Ford, car # 43).

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A legendary engine builder and car owner. The matriarch of a sport. A trail blazer who broke NASCAR’s color barrier. An influential sponsorship official who helped usher in the sport’s modern era. A champion and bonafide star driver for more than two decades.

For such a wide-ranging array of people, all have two things in common: their impact on stock-car racing and their addition to the list of nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2013.

Ray Fox, Anne B. France, Wendell Scott, Ralph Seagraves and Rusty Wallace were announced Wednesday as the latest names to join the 25 nominees for Hall of Fame induction. Voting day is scheduled May 23, when an appointed panel will select the five newest members for enshrinement in early 2013.

The five new nominees were revealed on “Race Hub” on the SPEED network.

The most familiar names among the quintet belong to Scott and Wallace.

Scott remains the only African-American driver to win a race at NASCAR’s top level, which he accomplished on Dec. 1, 1963 in Jacksonville, Fla. In his 13-year career, the longtime privateer made 495 starts, tying him for 33rd on the all-time list. NASCAR continues to honor his legacy by awarding 12 scholarships per year in his name for minorities.

Wallace won 55 races in NASCAR’s premier series, good for eighth place in the history books. The former Rookie of the Year was crowned Cup champion in 1989 and won at least one race each season over a 16-year span that reached into the turn of the century. He remains visible in the sport as a NASCAR analyst for ESPN.

Fox’s influence on the sport was felt for more than 40 years as one of NASCAR’s brightest mechanics and car owners. The World War II veteran built engines and fielded cars for legends such as Junior Johnson, Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson and Cale Yarborough. Fox’s mechanical know-how served him well in his second career as a NASCAR engine inspector, a position he held until retiring at age 80 in 1996.

The former Anne Bledsoe married Bill France Sr. in 1931, and the family put down roots three years later in Daytona Beach, Fla. Anne France took an active role in the family business, primarily in managing its finances as NASCAR secretary and treasurer, but also in organizing and promoting the competition.

Seagraves’ lasting mark on NASCAR hit its peak in 1971, when the R.J. Reynolds official helped forge a relationship that gave the sport major sponsorship support for more than three decades. The birth of the NASCAR Winston Cup Series — now the Sprint Cup Series — helped stock-car racing grow exponentially from a regional pastime to a national spectacle.

The other 20 nominees remain on the ballot from past years. They are:

– Buck Baker, a two-time champion in the sport’s earliest days and winner of 46 races in NASCAR’s top series.

The Jeff Gordon 24 Experience includes access to Jeff Gordon’s exclusive, 15-minute question and answer session on Saturday, June 9th, a Grandstand ticket (in Row 24) to the Pocono 400 on June 10th, a ticket to Sprint Cup Series Qualifying and the ARCA Racing Series Presented by Menards Pocono 200 on June 9th, a Pre-Race Pit/Paddock Pass (valid on Saturday and Sunday) and automatic entry into random drawing for an autographed Jeff Gordon Pocono Raceway Commemorative Track Piece.

The Jimmie Johnson 48 Family Package is back for the second straight year and is available for both race weekends at Pocono Raceway in 2012! Fans can choose from two, specially-priced ticket packages, in either the Concourse Gold or Terrace Vista sections, for either the Pocono 400 in June or the Pennsylvania 400 in August. All package holders will have access to Jimmie Johnson’s fan-driven, 15-minute question and answer session on June 10th or August 5th, receive (1) Lowe’s Build and Grown No. 48 Wooden Car, receive (1) Commemorative Pocono Raceway Genuine Track Medallion and be automatically entered to win a signed Jimmie Johnson Pocono Raceway Commemorative Track Piece. Additionally, fan can purchase additional packages or buy-one, get-one Pre-Race Pit/Paddock Passes during their order.

To purchase either of these packages visit www.poconoraceway.com and click on the “Driver Ticket Package” banner or call 1-800-RACEWAY (722-3929).

MARTINSVILLE, Va. — In the wake of a controversial late-race caution, Ryan Newman spoiled an afternoon of Hendrick hegemony with an opportunistic victory in the Goody’s Fast Relief 500 Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

After Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson dominated the action for 497 laps, an untimely caution flag flew on Lap 497 and sent the race to overtime, after David Reutimann stalled on the frontstretch.

Gordon and Johnson stayed out on old tires as the lead-lap cars behind them came to the pits for tires and fuel. On the restart on lap 504, Clint Bowyer took Johnson and Gordon three-wide into the first corner, and all three cars spun, ruining a potential 200th victory party for Hendrick Motorsports.

After the dust settled, Newman cleared runner-up AJ Allmendinger on the second lap of a green-white-checkered-flag restart and held on to win by .342 seconds. Dale Earnhardt Jr. ran third, followed by Matt Kenseth and Martin Truex Jr.

The victory was Newman’s first of the season, his first at Martinsville and the 16th of his career. It was the third win of the year in six events for Stewart-Haas Racing.

“I felt like I wasn’t racing AJ on that restart — I felt like I was racing Junior behind me,” said Newman, who overcame a pit road speeding penalty and earned a free pass to the lead lap under the third caution before rallying to win. “It was really important to me to not spin my tires and get a good start and race AJ and try to eliminate the 88 (Earnhardt) from the race for the win.”

That’s exactly what Newman did. Over the final two laps, Newman and Allmendinger raced each other hard and cleanly, with Newman taking the green flag from the inside lane and Allmendinger lined up to the outside.

“He ran me really clean,” Allmendinger said. “He didn’t shove me up the racetrack like he could have. He gave me the opportunity to beat him on the outside there. We were just not turning good enough in the center (of the corners) there on the restart.

“But we had a shot at it. That’s all you can ask for.”

The suspense and hard racing of the final two laps was overshadowed by the intensity of criticism in some quarters — notably the Hendrick domain — for Reutimann’s failure to bring his car to pit road. Reutimann broke a suspension part in the late going but remained on the track. Then his engine failed, and his car came to a stop at the end of the frontstretch.

“I would like an explanation on why that happened, from him, his crew chief, somebody,” said Earnhardt, who was running third when the caution flew and likely would have finished there under any circumstances. “But there’s no . . . it doesn’t seem like there could be a logical reason for him to end up stopped on the track.

“He was running around slow; you got a problem, you really . . . get down and get on pit road. I don’t believe he had any trouble getting down. When we went by him the first time, he was low. I would like to hear a good excuse, to be honest with you, because I’m sure it would be laughable.”

Reutimann shares his ride with Danica Patrick, in an arrangement between Tommy Baldwin Racing, which fields cars for Reutimann, and Stewart-Haas, which is supporting a 10-race Cup schedule for Patrick.

A motivating factor in Reutimann’s staying on the track was his desire to keep the car in the top 35 in owners points — and thence exempt from qualifying on speed — until Patrick’s next scheduled Cup start May 12 at Darlington.

“I just hate that I was involved in anything that changed the complexion of the race, so I’ve got to apologize to the guys that it affected,” Reutimann said after the race. “It broke a tie rod or something like that. I was just trying to limp around there. We needed to finish the next couple of laps to try to stay in the top 35.

“The thing quit going down the back straightaway, and it shut off. I just didn’t stop there intentionally. I know it sucks. I hate it for everybody that it affected, but I mean I can’t get out and push the thing . . . I was just trying to finish the day out and trying to stay in top 35, which is why we were trying to limp around out there. They gave me the black flag. We were coming to pit road, and it shut off. And that’s far as I could go.”

Gordon had led 322 laps before Johnson passed him for the top spot on Lap 356. That brought Johnson all the way back from a pit road speeding penalty incurred on Lap 100 under the first caution of the race. Johnson was flagged for speeding on exit and restarted at the tail end of the field.

But with 80 percent of the race ahead of him, the five-time champion had plenty of time to work his way back to the front of the field.

Denny Hamlin beat both Johnson and Gordon off pit road on Lap 363, during pit stops under caution for Travis Kvapil’s spin in Turn 2, but Johnson regained the lead on Lap 393, passing Hamlin to the inside through Turns 1 and 2 after dogging the No. 11 Toyota for more than 10 circuits.

Gordon regained the lead on Lap 497 moments before the caution for Reutimann’s disabled car slowed the race. The eighth caution for the Bowyer/Gordon/Johnson wreck extended the race to 515 laps, 15 past the scheduled distance.

All told, Gordon led 328 laps and Johnson 112, but the two best cars weren’t near the front of the field when Newman took the checkered flag. Johnson came home 12th, the last driver on the lead lap. Gordon finished 14th, a lap down, after running out of fuel during the overtime.

RACE RESULTS

1. (5) Ryan Newman, Chevrolet, 515, $198,808.
2. (27) AJ Allmendinger, Dodge, 515, $150,610.
3. (14) Dale Earnhardt Jr., Chevrolet, 515, $116,985.
4. (21) Matt Kenseth, Ford, 515, $152,821.
5. (13) Martin Truex Jr., Toyota, 515, $117,949.
6. (3) Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 515, $128,101.
7. (15) Tony Stewart, Chevrolet, 515, $133,410.
8. (19) Aric Almirola, Ford, 515, $121,196.
9. (7) Brad Keselowski, Dodge, 515, $117,455.
10. (4) Clint Bowyer, Toyota, 515, $111,999.
11. (28) Carl Edwards, Ford, 515, $124,451.
12. (22) Jimmie Johnson, Chevrolet, 515, $124,071.
13. (26) Greg Biffle, Ford, 514, $89,385.
14. (9) Jeff Gordon, Chevrolet, 514, $129,846.
15. (12) Marcos Ambrose, Ford, 513, $109,668.
16. (17) Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 513, $106,343.
17. (16) Bobby Labonte, Toyota, 513, $104,368.
18. (6) Brian Vickers, Toyota, 513, $79,035.
19. (2) Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 513, $125,971.
20. (20) Jamie McMurray, Chevrolet, 513, $110,718.
21. (32) Juan Pablo Montoya, Chevrolet, 512, $108,176.
22. (18) Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 512, $116,435.
23. (10) Joey Logano, Toyota, 511, $85,660.
24. (24) David Ragan, Ford, 511, $91,518.
25. (25) Casey Mears, Ford, 511, $89,218.
26. (11) Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 510, $84,685.
27. (34) Travis Kvapil, Toyota, 510, $93,907.
28. (38) David Gilliland, Ford, 509, $76,060.
29. (31) Landon Cassill, Toyota, 507, $102,230.
30. (39) David Stremme, Toyota, 506, $76,760.
31. (41) Hermie Sadler, Chevrolet, 505, $80,610.
32. (36) Ken Schrader, Ford, 503, $80,460.
33. (40) Kurt Busch, Chevrolet, 497, $80,235.
34. (42) Dave Blaney, Chevrolet, Brakes, 439, $72,110.
35. (29) David Reutimann, Chevrolet, Engine, 436, $72,060.
36. (8) Kyle Busch, Toyota, 435, $119,218.
37. (43) JJ Yeley, Toyota, Brakes, 359, $71,930.
38. (1) Kasey Kahne, Chevrolet, Engine, 256, $86,253.
39. (37) Joe Nemechek, Toyota, Brakes, 74, $69,100.
40. (23) Michael McDowell, Ford, Brakes, 60, $69,025.
41. (30) Josh Wise, Ford, Brakes, 49, $68,975.
42. (33) Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, Brakes, 30, $68,895.
43. (35) Reed Sorenson, Chevrolet, Brakes, 25, $68,418.

The first concert in the Sherman Summer Stage at Pocono Raceway Series is scheduled for July 31, and will feature internationally-renowned bands 311 and Slightly Stoopid.  Since their formation in Omaha, Nebraska, in 1990, 311 has sold over 8.5 million albums in the U.S. alone, had five albums reach the Top 10 on Billboard’s Top-200 Sales Chart, and had eight singles reach the Top 10 on Billboards’ Modern Rock Chart.  Slightly Stoopid is a band based out of Ocean Beach, California.  They have released seven albums (two live) with their fifth studio album entitled, “Chronchitis,” released in August 2007. The band was originally signed by the late Bradley Nowell, known from the band Sublime, to his label Skunk Records. Staying true to the D.I.Y ethic of punk rock, the band released its first two albums independently on Skunk.

Pocono Raceway, which hosts two premier NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events each year, is only 20 minutes away from the Sherman Theater, has acres of parking and the world’s largest bathroom with over 1000 stalls, making it an ideal location for bigger concerts in the Pocono region.

The Sherman Theater is a 501c3 non-profit organization producing concerts, festivals, and various other events.  A 1377-seat venue, the Sherman Theater’s mission is to serve the community by providing quality, culturally-diverse entertainment from nationally-known professional acts that brings patrons to downtown Stroudsburg and the Pocono region, creating a unique catalyst for the local economic development.  The Sherman Theater has worked with some of the biggest acts in the world including Ke$ha, 311, Paparoach, Furthur, Hinder, Sully Erna, Evanescence, Mac Miller, Blue Oyster Cult, Jim Jones, Jadakiss, and more.

For more information on the Sherman Summer Stage at Pocono Raceway series, contact the Sherman Theater at 570-420-2808 or visit: www.shermantheater.com

 The race will have a festive, spectator-friendly atmosphere, with live bands positioned every other mile throughout the course, as well as in the post-race area. The highlight, however, will be a finish inside the historic Pocono Raceway

Runners can choose from the following formats:

• Half Marathon: Saturday, May 5, 8 a.m.
• 5K: Saturday, May 5, 8:15 a.m.
• 1 Mile Kids Fun Run: Friday,  May 4th, 6:30 p.m. (children will run inside the Pocono Raceway)
• Concert/Broadway In the Burg starting at 3:30PM on May 5th

Race fees will vary depending on when a participant registers, but the starting rates are $75 for the half marathon, $25 for the 5K and $10 for the Kids Fun Run.

Race organizers will also present Packet Pick-Up at Pocono Raceway on May 4th from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and a concert and Broadway Show for race participants on the evening of May 5^th at the Sherman Theater

Pocono Raceway will present a delicious Pasta Dinner for the runners from 4-7PM on Friday May 4^th at the Pocono Raceway.

David Mason, President of Rapid Running, states, “The Rapid Running Pocono Half Marathon will be the first event of its kind at the Pocono Raceway. Whether you’re a championship runner or just trying to get healthy and stay fit, you’ll have the unique opportunity to run inside the world famous Pocono Raceway, and hear hundreds of people cheering you on.”

“Pocono Raceway is proud to partner with Rapid Running in The Rapid Running Pocono Half Marathon,” stated Brandon Igdalsky, Raceway President and CEO. “This prestigious event is sure to bring a large number of participants and spectators to the Pocono Mountains and will showcase all that this resort area has to offer.”

Sponsors for the Rapid Running Pocono Half Marathon include: Pocono Raceway, Pocono Convention and Visitors Bureau, Rapid Running, Active.com, Half2Run.com and Fifty States Half Marathon Club.

For more information or to register for the race, go to www.rapidrunning.com.

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