NASCAR AdvoCare 500 Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Finishes Second In Atlanta

Vallejo native Jeff Gordon is making his move to be in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase, and his second-place finish at Sunday's AdvoCare 500 helped his cause.

Gordon picked up 43 standings points. The winner was Denny Hamlin, who won his second straight Sprint Cup race.

Hamlin made a wise move to stay out of the pits after a crash late in the in race, and it paid off as he passed other drivers. Hamlin was also the first one out of the pits after another crash with three laps to go.

The 12-driver Chase starts after next weekend's race in Richmond, Va., and Hamlin is in prime position to go in as the leader.

Gordon, Brad Keselowski and Martin Truex Jr. finished second, third and fourth. Truex was in position to win until the latest crash, and he came out of the pits behind Hamlin. Kevin Harvick had a lead for much of the race.

For more on NASCAR, head to SB Nation's dedicated racing hub or check out Ranting and Raving.

NASCAR At Bristol Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Finishes In Third Place

Bristol Motor Speedway once again hosted the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series on Saturday night. The drivers raced under the lights in the third-to-last event before the cutoff for the Chase for the Cup.

Bay Area driver Jeff Gordon placed third on Saturday night and still remains in the running for one of the Wild Card berths, although he will be doing everything he can to win one of the final two races before the cutoff.

Denny Hamlin edged out Jimmie Johnson to capture the checkered flag at Bristol in his third win of the year. Johnson, Greg Biffle and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. became the first three drivers to officially clinch berths for the Chase.

Here are the full results from Saturday night's race at Bristol:

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Jeff Gordon
4. Brian Vickers
5. Marcos Ambrose
6. Kyle Busch
7. Clint Bowyer
8. Joey Logano
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Paul Menard
11. Martin Truex Jr.
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
13. Juan Pablo Montoya
14. Bobby Labonte
15. Kevin Harvick
16. Regan Smith
17. Jamie McMurray
18. Travis Kvapil
19. Greg Biffle
20. David Gilliland
21. Casey Mears
22. Carl Edwards
23. Michael McDowell
24. Landon Cassill
25. Matt Kenseth
26. Dave Blaney
27. Tony Stewart
28. Kurt Busch
29. Danica Patrick
30. Brad Keselowski
31. Jason Leffler
32. David Ragan
33. Jeff Burton
34. Sam Hornish Jr.
35. Aric Almirola
36. Ryan Newman
37. David Stremme
38. Josh Wise
39. Joe Nemechek
40. Stephen Leicht
41. Scott Riggs
42. Ken Schrader
43. Mike Bliss

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR Pure Michigan 400 Results: Jeff Gordon Unhappy With Dale Earnhardt

Following the conclusion of the NASCAR Pure Michigan 400 on Sunday, Jeff Gordon was not happy with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and his racing tactics. Here is what Gordon had to say on a radio show following the conclusion of the race.

"Tell the f------ 88 he can thank me later for not wrecking him," Gordon said on his radio during the race. "That was f------ stupid."

Earnhardt had moved in front of Gordon midway through the race with a pass Gordon felt was a little risky. But Earnhardt was shocked when he heard Gordon's reaction.

"What's the deal with the 24?" Earnhardt said on his radio after passing Gordon. "Does he have a problem with me?"

Crew chief Steve Letarte told Earnhardt that Gordon said he should have wrecked him.

"Wrecked me?!" Earnhardt yelled. "He was slower than me. I don't know what I did, but I'm sorry if I did something."

H/T ESPN for the quotes.

It'll be interesting to see the fallout from Gordon's tirade in the coming days.

As for the race itself, here are the results.

1 Greg Biffle
2 Brad Keselowski
3 Kasey Kahne
4 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5 Marcos Ambrose
6 Carl Edwards
7 Clint Bowyer
8 Ryan Newman
9 Paul Menard
10 Martin Truex Jr.
11 Denny Hamlin
12 Sam Hornish Jr.
13 Kyle Busch
14 Jamie McMurray
15 Travis Kvapil
16 Kevin Harvick
17 Matt Kenseth
18 David Gilliland
19 Jeff Burton
20 Aric Almirola
21 David Reutimann
22 Bobby Labonte
23 David Ragan
24 Trevor Bayne
25 Landon Cassill
26 Juan Pablo Montoya
27 Jimmie Johnson
28 Jeff Gordon
29 Regan Smith
30 Kurt Busch
31 Joey Logano
32 Tony Stewart
33 T.J. Bell
34 David Stremme
35 Mark Martin
36 Joe Nemechek
37 Casey Mears
38 Dave Blaney
39 Mike Skinner
40 Josh Wise
41 Scott Riggs
42 Reed Sorenson
43 Jason Leffler

For more on Gordon, Earnhardt Jr. and NASCAR throughout the year, stick with the SB Nation Bay Area StoryStream.

NASCAR At Watkins Glen Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Spins Out On FInal Lap During Wild Finish

The last thing that Jeff Gordon needed heading into Watkins Glen on Sunday was more bad luck. At least for a change in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Gordon wasn't the only one who seemed jinxed. Following the Finger Lakes 355, many drivers complained of a supposedly oil-slicked track. Although NASCAR denied the track had oil on it, there seems to be little explanation for the frequency of spin-outs on Sunday.

Two costly spin-outs happened on the final lap. The first happened to then-leader Kyle Busch, who spun out into the grass, allowing Brad Keselowski and Marcos Ambrose to have an all-out war in their mad dash for the checkered flag. As Ambrose was picking up the win, Gordon was spinning out on the final lap, ending up in the guard rail and having to bitterly settle for 21st place.

You can see the wild finish for yourself in the video below:

Here are the full results from Sunday's Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen:

1. Marcos Ambrose
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Sam Hornish Jr.
6. Greg Biffle
7. Kyle Busch
8. Matt Kenseth
9. Regan Smith
10. Martin Truex Jr.
11. Ryan Newman
12. Paul Menard
13. Kasey Kahne
14. Carl Edwards
15. Kevin Harvick
16. Casey Mears
17. Scott Speed
18. Aric Almirola
19. Tony Stewart
20. David Gilliland
21. Jeff Gordon
22. David Ragan
23. Landon Cassill
24. Travis Kvapil
25. Boris Said
26. Stephen Leicht
27. Bobby Labonte
28. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
29. Joe Nemechek
30. Jeff Burton
31. Kurt Busch
32. Joey Logano
33. Juan Pablo Montoya
34. Denny Hamlin
35. Jason Leffler
36. Dave Blaney
37. Michael McDowell
38. Josh Wise
39. Jamie McMurray
40. JJ Yeley
41. Chris Cook
42. Patrick Long
43. Brian Vickers

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Watkins Glen 2012: Starting Lineup, TV Schedule & More

The 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolls into Watkins Glen on Sunday for the Finger Lakes 355. Jeff Gordon picked up a win he desperately needed last week to gain possession of a Wild Card spot -- for the moment. There are a handful of drivers within striking distance of the Wild Card with five races left to go before the cutoff. The field has already admitted that they'll all be trying to make sure Gordon doesn't pick up the win.

Gordon will be 12th in the staring lineup on Sunday and will be driving with purpose in what promises to be perhaps the most unpredictable race of the season.

Sunday's race will be televised on ESPN. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 10:20 a.m. PT. There is a low chance of rain and the temperature should be in the high 70s. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site and on the "Watch ESPN" app. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's Finger Lakes 355 at Watkins Glen:

1. Juan Pablo Montoya
2. Kyle Busch
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Marcos Ambrose
6. Ryan Newman
7. Tony Stewart
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Martin Truex Jr.
10. Jamie McMurray
11. Michael McDowell
12. Jeff Gordon
13. Regan Smith
14. Joey Logano
15. Greg Biffle
16. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
17. Sam Hornish Jr.
18. Carl Edwards
19. Kevin Harvick
20. Kasey Kahne
21. Scott Speed
22. Paul Menard
23. Denny Hamlin
24. Matt Kenseth
25. Boris Said
26. Bobby Labonte
27. Kurt Busch
28. Jeff Burton
29. Aric Almirola
30. Casey Mears
31. Dave Blaney
32. David Ragan
33. Brian Vickers
34. David Gilliland
35. Landon Cassill
36. Joe Nemechek
37. JJ Yeley
38. Josh Wise
39. Stephen Leicht
40. Mike Bliss
41. Jason Leffler
42. Travis Kvapil
43. Patrick Long

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Pocono 2012 Results: Jeff Gordon Wins Shortened Race Marred By Lightning Strike

All season long, Jeff Gordon has fallen victim to wrecks, tough breaks, mechanical failures and any and all other forms of just plain bad luck. Heading into Sunday's Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway, Gordon knew he absolutely had to pick up a win to maintain any hope of making the cutoff for the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

On Sunday, Gordon managed to pick up that all-important win, as thunderstorms cut the 160-lap race to just 106 laps. Unfortunately for NASCAR and the fans in attendance, the events of the race were marred when lightning struck the parking lot after the race officially ended. Several fans were sent to the hospital and one fan lost their life. Please visit this StoryStream on SB Nation's NASCAR hub to read more about the tragedy.

Here are the unofficial results of Sunday's Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway.

1. Jeff Gordon
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Brad Keselowski
5. Tony Stewart
6. Ryan Newman
7. Carl Edwards
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Regan Smith
10. Marcos Ambrose
11. Paul Menard
12. Mark Martin
13. Joey Logano
14. Jimmie Johnson
15. Greg Biffle
16. Kevin Harvick
17. Jamie McMurray
18. Aric Almirola
19. Sam Hornish Jr.
20. Juan Pablo Montoya
21. David Gilliland
22. Jeff Burton
23. Matt Kenseth
24. David Reutimann
25. Travis Kvapil
26. Landon Cassill
27. Bobby Labonte
28. David Ragan
29. Denny Hamlin
30. Kurt Busch
31. Jason White
32. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
33. Kyle Busch
34. David Stremme
35. Casey Mears
36. Joe Nemechek
37. Josh Wise
38. Tony Raines
39. Mike Bliss
40. JJ Yeley
41. Mike Skinner
42. Reed Sorenson
43. Scott Riggs

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Indianapolis Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Finishes Fifth, Now Running Short On Time

Jeff Gordon needed a win on Sunday in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He didn't get one. The cutoff for the chase for the Sprint Cup keeps drawing closer and Gordon needs at least two wins to stay alive. He now has one less race to make that happen. Although Gordon finished in fifth place on Sunday, it is still considered a disappointing finish considering the stakes. Gordon is currently 15th in the overall Sprint Cup Series points standings.

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is the new overall points leader after finishing fourth on Sunday. This is the first time in eight years that Earnhardt, Jr. has led the standings.

The big winner on Sunday was Jimmie Johnson, who captured the checkered flag by holding off Kyle Busch and now sits in fourth place in the standings.

Here are the full results from Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kyle Busch
3. Greg Biffle
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Ryan Newman
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Tony Stewart
11. Mark Martin
12. Kasey Kahne
13. Kevin Harvick
14. Paul Menard
15. Clint Bowyer
16. Sam Hornish Jr.
17. Trevor Bayne
18. Regan Smith
19. Aric Almirola
20. Marcos Ambrose
21. Juan Pablo Montoya
22. Jamie McMurray
23. Dave Blaney
24. David Stremme
25. Landon Cassill
26. Bobby Labonte
27. David Gilliland
28. David Ragan
29. Carl Edwards
30. Ken Schrader
31. Stephen Leicht
32. Jeff Burton
33. Joey Logano
34. Casey Mears
35. Matt Kenseth
36. Kurt Busch
37. Travis Kvapil
38. Scott Speed
39. JJ Yeley
40. Josh Wise
41. Scott Riggs
42. Mike Skinner
43. Mike Bliss

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Indianapolis 2012: Brickyard 400 TV Schedule, Starting Lineup & More

Jeff Gordon really has his back up against the wall now. He needs at least two wins before the cutoff to even entertain the notion of winning the Sprint Cup. And he needs one of those wins immediately. He will be No. 9 in the starting lineup at the Brickyard 400 in Indianapolis on Sunday and will be hoping for nothing less than the checkered flag.

AJ Allmendinger, meanwhile, failed his "B" test after an appeal for his substance abuse suspension and will now be suspended indefinitely by NASCAR. For the time being, Jeff Gordon is the only Bay Area driver in this year's Sprint Cup Series.

The green flag is scheduled to wave at 10:19 a.m. PT. This will be the first race of the season broadcast on ESPN, who will handle the television broadcasts for the remainder of the year. It will be a welcome change after six awful weeks of TNT coverage.

There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found via the "Watch ESPN" app. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Performance Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

Here is the complete starting lineup for Sunday's Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway:

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Carl Edwards
3. Joey Logano
4. Aric Almirola
5. Greg Biffle
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Kyle Busch
8. Paul Menard
9. Jeff Gordon
10. Matt Kenseth
11. Ryan Newman
12. Juan Pablo Montoya
13. Kurt Busch
14. Regan Smith
15. Kasey Kahne
16. Jamie McMurray
17. Martin Truex Jr.
18. Trevor Bayne
19. Mark Martin
20. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
21. Jeff Burton
22. Brad Keselowski
23. Marcos Ambrose
24. Sam Hornish Jr.
25. Casey Mears
26. David Stremme
27. Kevin Harvick
28. Tony Stewart
29. Bobby Labonte
30. Travis Kvapil
31. David Gilliland
32. Dave Blaney
33. Clint Bowyer
34. Scott Speed
35. Josh Wise
36. David Ragan
37. Stephen Leicht
38. Landon Cassill
39. Mike Skinner
40. JJ Yeley
41. Ken Schrader
42. Scott Riggs
43. Mike Bliss

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR Loudon Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Finishes In Sixth Place

Heading into Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Jeff Gordon knew that he would need to win at least two of the final eight races before the cutoff to keep any hope alive of capturing the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup. At the end of Sunday's race, Gordon will still need to win a minimum of two races to have a prayer ... but now has just seven races left to do so.

Gordon had a strong showing but finished in sixth place, while Kasey Kahne edged out Denny Hamlin to capture the checkered flag and move into Wild Card position. Matt Kenseth finished in 13th place and remains the overall leader in the Sprint Cup Series.

Here are the full results for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Clint Bowyer
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Jeff Gordon
7. Jimmie Johnson
8. Kevin Harvick
9. Greg Biffle
10. Ryan Newman
11. Martin Truex Jr.
12. Tony Stewart
13. Matt Kenseth
14. Joey Logano
15. Brian Vickers
16. Kyle Busch
17. Paul Menard
18. Carl Edwards
19. Marcos Ambrose
20. Jamie McMurray
21. Jeff Burton
22. Sam Hornish Jr.
23. Bobby Labonte
24. Kurt Busch
25. Juan Pablo Montoya
26. Regan Smith
27. David Gilliland
28. Aric Almirola
29. Landon Cassill
30. Travis Kvapil
31. Ken Schrader
32. Stephen Leicht
33. David Reutimann
34. David Ragan
35. David Stremme
36. Casey Mears
37. Josh Wise
38. Joe Nemechek
39. Dave Blaney
40. Michael McDowell
41. Scott Riggs
42. Kelly Bires
43. JJ Yeley

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Loudon 2012: TV Schedule, Starting Lineup & More

The Bay Area NASCAR drivers have had a rough season so far. Jeff Gordon has been dealing with a frustrating run of bad luck throughout the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and AJ Allmendinger has been suspended for failing a drug test.

On Sunday, Gordon and Allmendinger's replacement driver, Sam Hornish Jr., will be driving in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the famous track nicknamed the Magic Mile. Gordon will be in the No. 8 spot in the starting lineup and desperately needs a win.

The green flag is scheduled to wave at 10:16 a.m. PT. This will be the final race televised on TNT this season. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Performance Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Martin Truex Jr.
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Ryan Newman
7. Jimmie Johnson
8. Jeff Gordon
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
10. Tony Stewart
11. Greg Biffle
12. Kevin Harvick
13. Brian Vickers
14. Paul Menard
15. Kurt Busch
16. Joey Logano
17. Regan Smith
18. Bobby Labonte
19. David Ragan
20. Marcos Ambrose
21. Carl Edwards
22. Brad Keselowski
23. Aric Almirola
24. Sam Hornish Jr.
25. Jeff Burton
26. David Reutimann
27. Matt Kenseth
28. Jamie McMurray
29. Landon Cassill
30. Travis Kvapil
31. Juan Pablo Montoya
32. Josh Wise
33. Casey Mears
34. Joe Nemechek
35. Dave Blaney
36. Michael McDowell
37. Ken Schrader
38. JJ Yeley
39. David Gilliland
40. David Stremme
41. Scott Riggs
42. Kelly Bires
43. Stephen Leicht

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

AJ Allmendinger Suspension: Bay Area NASCAR Driver Tested Positive For Stimulant, Is Appealing

Bay Area NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger has requested that his "B" sample be tested after failing a substance abuse test last Saturday prior to the Coke Zero 400.

On Tuesday, Allmendinger released the following statement:

"I have informed NASCAR that I have requested that the 'B' sample be tested, following the steps according to NASCAR's 2012 rule book regarding this situation. I fully respect NASCAR's drug usage policy and the reasons they have it.

I am hoping this can get resolved as quickly as possible so that I can get back to driving the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge. I am sorry that this has caused such a distraction for my Penske Racing team, our sponsors and fans.

Obviously I would never do anything to jeopardize my opportunity here at Penske Racing or to my fellow drivers. I am very conscious about my training and health and would never knowingly take a prohibited drug."

Allmendinger's business manager, Tara Ragan, commented on the failed test on Wednesday, saying that the failure showed the presence of an unspecified "stimulant," according to Jeff Gluck of SB Nation.

Tara Ragan said Allmendinger has "no idea why the first test was positive and he has never knowingly taken any prohibited substance."

"AJ is collecting his medicines and supplements for testing to determine whether an over the counter product caused his positive test," Ragan said. "AJ and all of us at Walldinger Racing respect NASCAR's testing program, and he has requested that his 'B' sample be tested as part of the process of getting to the bottom of this."

Allmendinger's 'A' sample was tested and it was determined the stimulant was "slightly above the threshold" allowed by NASCAR, Ragan said.

Sam Hornish Jr., who replaced Allmendinger in the Coke Zero 400, will be driving in place of Allmendinger once again during Sunday's race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

AJ Allmendinger Suspension: Roger Penske Comments On Bay Area Driver's Failed Drug Test

On Saturday before the Coke Zero 400, Bay Area NASCAR driver AJ Allmendinger failed a pre-race substance abuse test and was pulled from the Sprint Cup Series race. Pending an appeal, Allmendinger could be suspended indefinitely.

SB Nation's Jeff Gluck brings us the transcript of an interview with Roger Penske that appeared on SPEED Network on Sunday night. The owner of Penske Racing had this to say about the situation:

Robin Miller: RP, you flew in from Europe last night and got some unfortunate news ...

Roger Penske: Well, yes it's unfortunate, obviously, when you come back ... and we're having such a good season ... to have a disappointment like that with AJ.

You know, there's still some time. He's got another test they have to look at this next week and then we'll make a decision. Obviously, we support the NASCAR program of drug-free drivers, mechanics and crew members and we need to abide by that.

To me, it's a big speed bump for us, but at the end of the day, we've had situations before that we've had to deal with and we're going to be professional, we are going to support the sport and we don't want to let our sponsors down. At this point, we'll just wait and see.

Obviously this is a big blow to the team, but a bigger blow to Allmendinger himself. More details will certainly be coming out in the next couple of days, as Allmendinger has 72 hours from Saturday to request that his "B" sample be tested in appeal.

For more on the Bay Area drivers and their chase for the Cup, stay tuned to this StoryStream. For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR Daytona Results 2012: Bad Day For Bay Area Racing

Sunday was a wild day for NASCAR, and a wilder day for Bay Area drivers in particular. AJ Allmendinger failed a pre-race substance abuse test and was pulled from the race. Penske Racing replaced Allmendinger with Sam Hornish Jr. in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

As if that weren't enough, Jeff Burton was running well until being involved in a big wreck on Lap 153 of 160. Denny Hamlin was responsible for the crash and Gordon was unable to finish any better than 12th place. Time is running out for Gordon to hope to make the cutoff for the Chase for the Sprint Cup.

Tony Stewart took the checkered flag for his third win of the season, edging out points leader Matt Kenseth and Greg Biffle. Stewart crossed the finish line ahead of one final big wreck out of Turn 4 on the final lap.

Here are the results from Saturday night's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway:

1. Tony Stewart
2. Jeff Burton
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Joey Logano
5. Ryan Newman
6. Carl Edwards
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Brad Keselowski
9. Michael Waltrip
10. Bobby Labonte
11. David Reutimann
12. Jeff Gordon
13. Jamie McMurray
14. Paul Menard
15. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
16. Travis Kvapil
17. Martin Truex Jr.
18. Casey Mears
19. Aric Almirola
20. Terry Labonte
21. Greg Biffle
22. Dave Blaney
23. Kevin Harvick
24. Kyle Busch
25. Denny Hamlin
26. David Ragan
27. Trevor Bayne
28. Juan Pablo Montoya
29. Clint Bowyer
30. Marcos Ambrose
31. David Gilliland
32. Landon Cassill
33. Sam Hornish Jr. (subbed for suspended AJ Allmendinger)
34. Regan Smith
35. Kurt Busch
36. Jimmie Johnson
37. Bill Elliott
38. Josh Wise
39. David Stremme
40. JJ Yeley
41. Joe Nemechek
42. Stephen Leicht
43. Michael McDowell

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

AJ Allmendinger Suspended After Testing Positive For Banned Substance

AJ Allemendinger has been suspended for testing positive for a banned substance, reports SB Nation's Jeff Gluck, and will not race in Saturday's Coke Zero 400. His "A" sample tested positive, and according to NASCAR has the right to request testing of his "B" sample within 72 hours.

The test was administered during early June's Kentucy race weekend, where Allmendinger finished in ninth place in the Sprint Cut race. NASCAR did not release any further information about the test, including for what substance Allmendger tested positive. Penske Racing will tap Sam Hornish Jr. to replace Allmendinger in the driver's seat of the No. 22 Shell. They released a statement on the suspension: "NASCAR has a strict drug testing program that Penske Racing fully supports. Penske Racing will work with NASCAR through this process and its next steps."

Allmendinger has had trouble with substance abuse before, having been arrested for drunk driving in the fall of 2009.

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Daytona 2012: Coke Zero 400 TV Schedule, Starting Lineup & More

Daytona International Speedway will play host to the Coke Zero 400 on Saturday night, under the lights in hot and humid Florida. The latest stop in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series is in celebration of the Fourth of July and Jeff Gordon hopes he can pick up a much-needed win.

Gordon will start the race in the No. 5 slot in the stating grid. Fellow Bay Area driver AJ Allmendinger is also sitting pretty, in the No. 8 spot in the starting lineup. Both drivers really need a strong showing to keep any hopes alive of staying in the hunt for the Cup. Overall Sprint Cup points leader Matt Kenseth will hold the pole position for the race.

The green flag is scheduled to wave at 4:53 p.m. PT and will be the fifth of six races this year that will be broadcast on TNT. There IS live streaming of the race tonight, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

Here is the full starting lineup for Saturday's Coke Zero 400 at Daytona:

1. Matt Kenseth
2. Ryan Newman
3. Kasey Kahne
4. Greg Biffle
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Bill Elliott
7. Casey Mears
8. AJ Allmendinger
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Marcos Ambrose
11. Kevin Harvick
12. Carl Edwards
13. Paul Menard
14. Juan Pablo Montoya
15. Trevor Bayne
16. Jimmie Johnson
17. Aric Almirola
18. Martin Truex Jr.
19. Joey Logano
20. Jeff Burton
21. Mike Bliss
22. Kyle Busch
23. Denny Hamlin
24. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
25. Regan Smith
26. David Stremme
27. David Ragan
28. Michael Waltrip
29. Clint Bowyer
30. Jamie McMurray
31. Josh Wise
32. David Gilliland
33. Dave Blaney
34. Terry Labonte
35. Kurt Busch
36. Joe Nemechek
37. Stephen Leicht
38. Landon Cassill
39. David Reutimann
40. Travis Kvapil
41. Bobby Labonte
42. Tony Stewart (was second, failed post-qualifying inspection)
43. JJ Yeley

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Kentucky 2012 Results: Jeff Gordon Picks Up Another Top 10 Finish

On Saturday night, both Bay Area drivers wound up with top 10 finishes in the Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway. Jeff Gordon picked up his third straight top 10 finish in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, coming in at fifth place to remain at No. 18 in the overall Cup standings.

AJ Allmendinger, meanwhile, finished in ninth place and will also stay put at No. 23 in the Sprint Cup points standigs. Brad Keselowski picked up the big win, taking home the checkered flag in his third win of the season.

Matt Kenseth remains the overall points leader, trailed by new Nos. 2 and 3 drivers Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

Here are the results from Saturday night's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Kentucky Speedway:

1. Brad Keselowski
2. Kasey Kahne
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Jeff Gordon
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. AJ Allmendinger
10. Kyle Busch
11. Kevin Harvick
12. Paul Menard
13. Marcos Ambrose
14. Juan Pablo Montoya
15. Jamie McMurray
16. Clint Bowyer
17. Travis Kvapil
18. Casey Mears
19. Kurt Busch
20. Carl Edwards
21. Greg Biffle
22. Joey Logano
23. David Reutimann
24. Jeff Burton
25. Landon Cassill
26. Aric Almirola
27. Bobby Labonte
28. David Gilliland
29. David Ragan
30. Michael Waltrip
31. Ken Schrader
32. Tony Stewart
33. Regan Smith
34. Ryan Newman
35. Dave Blaney
36. David Stremme
37. Josh Wise
38. Michael McDowell
39. Scott Speed
40. Joe Nemechek
41. Stephen Leicht
42. Mike Bliss
43. Scott Riggs

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Sonoma 2012 Results: Jeff Gordon Finishes In 6th Place

Sunday was a solid day for Bay Area drivers. Both Jeff Gordon and AJ Allmendinger placed in the top ten when the checkered flag waved on the Toyota/Save Mart 350. Both drivers picked up some points in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings. For Allmendinger, the No. 9 placing was the second top-10 finish of the year.

This is not only Gordon's second straight top-10 finish, but his second straight sixth-place finish. Gordon is now in 18th place in the Sprint Cup standings with an even 10 races left before the Chase for the Cup. There is certainly still time left for Gordon to make the cut-off, but he has a lot of ground to make up and the wins need to begin coming immediately.

Here are the full results for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350:

1. Clint Bowyer
2. Tony Stewart
3. Kurt Busch
4. Brian Vickers
5. Jimmie Johnson
6. Jeff Gordon
7. Greg Biffle
8. Marcos Ambrose
9. AJ Allmendinger
10. Joey Logano
11. Jeff Burton
12. Brad Keselowski
13. Matt Kenseth
14. Kasey Kahne
15. Casey Mears
16. Kevin Harvick
17. Kyle Busch
18. Ryan Newman
19. Jamie McMurray
20. Paul Menard
21. Carl Edwards
22. Martin Truex Jr.
23. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
24. Bobby Labonte
25. Scott Speed
26. David Gilliland
27. David Ragan
28. Aric Almirola
29. Boris Said
30. Josh Wise
31. Landon Cassill
32. Regan Smith
33. JJ Yeley
34. Juan Pablo Montoya
35. Denny Hamlin
36. Travis Kvapil
37. Dave Blaney
38. Tomy Drissi
39. Robby Gordon
40. David Mayhew
41. Stephen Leicht
42. Chris Cook
43. Joe Nemechek

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Sonoma 2012: TV Schedule, Starting Lineup & More

Jeff Gordon has an excellent opportunity to finally make some real noise in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Gordon will sit in the No. 2 slot in Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 in Gordon's own back yard at Sonoma. Gordon sits behind only Marcos Ambrose in the lineup as the drivers head into the unique 12-turn course.

Fellow Bay Area native AJ Allmendinger holds the No. 17 position in the starting lineup.

The green flag for the Toyota/Save Mart 350 will wave at 12:19 p.m. PT. Sunday's event will be the third of six races to be televised on TNT this year. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Performance Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

Here's the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Sonoma:

1. Marcos Ambrose
2. Jeff Gordon
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Greg Biffle
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Kyle Busch
8. Kurt Busch
9. Matt Kenseth
10. Carl Edwards
11. Ryan Newman
12. Juan Pablo Montoya
13. Brad Keselowski
14. Joey Logano
15. Kasey Kahne
16. Denny Hamlin
17. AJ Allmendinger
18. Bobby Labonte
19. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
20. Casey Mears
21. Brian Vickers
22. Scott Speed
23. Paul Menard
24. Tony Stewart
25. Jamie McMurray
26. Kevin Harvick
27. David Gilliland
28. Boris Said
29. David Ragan
30. Aric Almirola
31. Regan Smith
32. Dave Blaney
33. David Mayhew
34. Robby Gordon
35. Jeff Burton
36. Joe Nemechek
37. Chris Cook
38. JJ Yeley
39. Travis Kvapil
40. Josh Wise
41. Tomy Drissi
42. Landon Cassill
43. Stephen Leicht

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Michigan 2012 Results: Dale Earnhardt Jr. Wins On Father's Day

Jeff Gordon managed to make some positive progress on Sunday, which has been rare for him so far in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Gordon came in at sixth place at Michigan International Speedway in the Quicken Loans 400. It was Gordon's fourth Top-10 finish of the year, but his achievement was understandably overshadowed by the feel-good NASCAR moment of the year.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. took the checkered flag in a dominant performance to pick up his first win in four years. His last win was also on Father's Day and at Michigan International Speedway, way back in 2008. There had been 143 races for Earnhardt between wins, but his well-known drought is finally at an end. Earnhardt will move into second place in the Sprint Cup standings with the win.

Here are the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series standings with 11 races to go until the Chase (NOTE: These are strictly in relation to Chase spots):

1. Matt Kenseth +109 inside Chase
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr. +105
3. Greg Biffle +92
4. Jimmie Johnson +76
5. Denny Hamlin +58
6. Kevin Harvick +48
7. Martin Truex Jr. +41
8. Tony Stewart +35
9. Clint Bowyer +25
10. Brad Keselowski +2
11. Carl Edwards -2 from top 10
12. Kyle Busch -26 (Holds No. 1 Wild Card spot, 1 win)
13. Ryan Newman -31 (Holds No. 2 Wild Card spot, 1 win)
14. Paul Menard -37
15. Joey Logano -51 (-20 from No. 2 Wild Card spot)
16. Kasey Kahne -67 (-36 from No. 2 Wild Card spot)
17. Marcos Ambrose -70
18. Jamie McMurray -81
19. Juan Pablo Montoya -81
20. Jeff Gordon -83
21. Jeff Burton -83
22. Aric Almirola -86

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Michigan 2012: Start Time, TV Schedule, Streaming Info & More

If you believe in bad luck, you should be mighty worried about Jeff Gordon right now. The suuperstar NASCAR driver has had a rash of bad luck throughout the 2012 Sprint Cup Series that is not looking to abate any time soon. Prior to Sunday's Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway, the track was causing tires to blister, prompting Goodyear to bring in super-hard tires for the race at the last minute.

Gordon is already all the way down at No. 28 in the starting lineup after qualifying, so this may not be his day. Fellow Bay Area driver AJ Allmendinger is at No. 20 in the lineup. Marcos Ambrose holds the pole position after posting an average speed of 203.241 mph, the fastest qualifying lap in 25 years.

The green flag is expected to wave at 10:16 p.m. PT on Sunday. The race will be televised on TNT for the second time this season. There IS live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

Here is the complete starting lineup for Sunday's Quicken Loans 400 at Michigan International Speedway:

1. Marcos Ambrose
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Greg Biffle
4. Kasey Kahne
5. Ryan Newman
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Trevor Bayne
8. Tony Stewart
9. Joey Logano
10. Jimmie Johnson
11. Denny Hamlin
12. Regan Smith
13. Clint Bowyer
14. Mark Martin
15. Aric Almirola
16. Martin Truex Jr.
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
18. Paul Menard
19. Jamie McMurray
20. AJ Allmendinger
21. Juan Pablo Montoya
22. Austin Dillon
23. Scott Riggs
24. Casey Mears
25. Brad Keselowski
26. Kurt Busch
27. Michael McDowell
28. Jeff Gordon
29. Mike Bliss
30. Josh Wise
31. Bobby Labonte
32. Landon Cassill
33. Jeff Burton
34. Kyle Busch
35. David Gilliland
36. Dave Blaney
37. Joe Nemechek
38. David Ragan
39. Travis Kvapil
40. Ken Schrader
41. Tony Raines
42. Carl Edwards
43. JJ Yeley

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Pocono 2012 Results: Jeff Gordon, A.J. Allmendinger Continue To Lose Ground In Standings

There appears to be no end to the misery for Bay Area NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and AJ Allmendinger. In Sunday's Pocono 400, both men finished well below where they had hoped to place. Joey Logano took the checkered flag as the 2012 Sprint Cup Series officially entered its second half. It was Logano's second career win and his first since 2009.

Gordon finished in 19th place and lost 90 points in the Sprint Cup standings. He now sits at No. 22 on the leaderboard. Allmendinger finished in 31st place and lost a relative 121 points in the standings. Allmendinger is now at No. 25 overall.

There is still a lot of season left, but Gordon and Allmendinger will find themselves running out of time in fairly short order.

Here are the NASCAR results from today's race at Pocono:

1. Joey Logano
2. Mark Martin
3. Tony Stewart
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Matt Kenseth
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9. Paul Menard
10. Jamie McMurray
11. Carl Edwards
12. Ryan Newman
13. Marcos Ambrose
14. Kevin Harvick
15. Jeff Burton
16. Regan Smith
17. Juan Pablo Montoya
18. Brad Keselowski
19. Jeff Gordon
20. Martin Truex Jr.
21. David Reutimann
22. Bobby Labonte
23. David Gilliland
24. Greg Biffle
25. Dave Blaney
26. Travis Kvapil
27. David Ragan
28. Aric Almirola
29. Kasey Kahne
30. Kyle Busch
31. AJ Allmendinger
32. Tony Raines
33. Stephen Leicht
34. Michael McDowell
35. Casey Mears
36. JJ Yeley
37. Joe Nemechek
38. Mike Bliss
39. Stacy Compton
40. Scott Riggs
41. Reed Sorenson
42. Josh Wise
43. Landon Cassill

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Pocono 2012: Starting Lineup, TV Schedule & More

The Pocono 400 takes place on Sunday at Pocono Raceway as the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series continues. Bay Area drivers Jeff Gordon and AJ Allmendinger will be back at it, both attempting to improve their fortunes in what has been a lackluster year so far.

Gordon has a good placement in the starting lineup once again, slotted in at No. 12. There is no telling, however, whether Gordon's rotten string of luck thus far in 2012 will continue. Allmendinger is set to be No. 19 in the starting lineup.

The green flag is expected to drop at 10:19 a.m. PT on TNT. This is the first of six races that will be televised on TNT this season. There will be live streaming of the race today, which can be found at NASCAR.com's "RaceBuddy" site. If you'll be away from your computer and TV, check the Motor Racing Network's web site for a list of affiliate radio stations in your area.

Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Pocono Raceway:

1. Joey Logano
2. Carl Edwards
3. Paul Menard
4. Kyle Busch
5. Denny Hamlin
6. Mark Martin
7. Regan Smith
8. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
9. Marcos Ambrose
10. Kasey Kahne
11. Jamie McMurray
12. Jeff Gordon
13. Greg Biffle
14. Matt Kenseth
15. Landon Cassill
16. Clint Bowyer
17. Juan Pablo Montoya
18. Ryan Newman
19. AJ Allmendinger
20. Jeff Burton
21. Kevin Harvick
22. Tony Stewart
23. Martin Truex Jr.
24. Jimmie Johnson
25. David Reutimann
26. Casey Mears
27. Bobby Labonte
28. Mike Bliss
29. Aric Almirola
30. Michael McDowell
31. Brad Keselowski
32. JJ Yeley
33. Joe Nemechek
34. David Ragan
35. Josh Wise
36. David Gilliland
37. Travis Kvapil
38. Scott Riggs
39. Stacy Compton
40. Tony Raines
41. Reed Sorenson
42. Dave Blaney
43. Stephen Leicht

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR Dover Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Leads For 60 Laps, Settles For 13th Place

On Sunday, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series rolled into Dover International Speedway. For a large portion of the FedEx 400, it looked like Jeff Gordon was set for his first big win of the season. Things didn't quite work out that way, however.

In the end, Jimmie Johnson picked up the win and will make a big gain in the Sprint Cup points standings as a result.

Gordon led for 60 laps and was still ahead when a late caution threw a significant wrench into his team's game plan. What appeared to be a sure-fire win resulted instead in a very disappointing 13th-place finish.

Fellow Bay Area driver AJ Allmendinger didn't fare much worse than Gordon, all things considered, as he finished in 16th place.

Here are the full results from Sunday's FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Aric Almirola
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Joey Logano
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Marcos Ambrose
11. Greg Biffle
12. Brad Keselowski
13. Jeff Gordon
14. Mark Martin
15. Ryan Newman
16. AJ Allmendinger
17. Paul Menard
18. Denny Hamlin
19. Jamie McMurray
20. Bobby Labonte
21. David Ragan
22. Jeff Burton
23. Travis Kvapil
24. Kurt Busch
25. Tony Stewart
26. Carl Edwards
27. Regan Smith
28. Juan Pablo Montoya
29. Kyle Busch
30. Reed Sorenson
31. David Reutimann
32. Dave Blaney
33. David Stremme
34. JJ Yeley
35. Stephen Leicht
36. Mike Bliss
37. Scott Riggs
38. Landon Cassill
39. Joe Nemechek
40. David Gilliland
41. Casey Mears
42. Michael McDowell
43. Scott Speed

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Dover 2012: TV Schedule, Starting Lineup & More

On Sunday, Dover International Speedway will play host to the FedEx 400 in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series.

Jeff Gordon will be No. 14 in the starting lineup and will be looking for inspiration in his Hendrick Motorsports teammate and the driver ahead of him in the lineup, Kasey Kahne, for inspiration. Kahne has been able to turn around his nightmare start to the season and Gordon is hoping to do the same.

Fellow Bay Area driver A.J. Allmendinger will be 23rd in the starting lineup.

The green flag is set to wave at 10:15 a.m. PT. The race will be televised on FOX. If you want to listen to the radio broadcast, you can listen on the Motor Racing Network's Web site. You can also check MRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.

Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's FedEx 400 at Dover International Speedway:

1. Mark Martin
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Ryan Newman
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Greg Biffle
8. Kyle Busch
9. Kurt Busch
10. Denny Hamlin
11. Joey Logano
12. Aric Almirola
13. Kasey Kahne
14. Jeff Gordon
15. Jeff Burton
16. Brad Keselowski
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
18. Martin Truex Jr.
19. Carl Edwards
20. Paul Menard
21. Marcos Ambrose
22. Bobby Labonte
23. AJ Allmendinger
24. Jamie McMurray
25. Scott Speed
26. Regan Smith
27. Landon Cassill
28. David Ragan
29. Tony Stewart
30. David Gilliland
31. Juan Pablo Montoya
32. David Stremme
33. Michael McDowell
34. JJ Yeley
35. Joe Nemechek
36. Mike Bliss
37. Stephen Leicht
38. Reed Sorenson
39. David Reutimann
40. Casey Mears
41. Dave Blaney
42. Travis Kvapil
43. Scott Riggs

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR Coke 600 2012 Results: Jeff Gordon Nets Third Top 10 Finish Of The Year

The Coca-Cola 600 is in the books. The longest race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series was held on Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway and featured a strong showing by Jeff Gordon, which has become something of a rare occurrence this year.

Jeff Gordon had his second-best finish of the season and only his third Top-10 placing this year, which really speaks to how terrible his year has been for him. Gordon finished in seventh place, although he remains in 22nd place overall in the Sprint Cup points standing.

Kasey Kahne picked up his first win of the year in his 300th career start on Sunday, staying on the terrific turnaround path that Gordon is wishing he can find. The win was Kahne's first since joining Kendrick Motorsports.

Here are the full results from the 2012 Coke 600:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Kyle Busch
4. Greg Biffle
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
7. Jeff Gordon
8. Kevin Harvick
9. Carl Edwards
10. Matt Kenseth
11. Jimmie Johnson
12. Martin Truex Jr.
13. Clint Bowyer
14. Ryan Newman
15. Paul Menard
16. Aric Almirola
17. Regan Smith
18. Landon Cassill
19. Jeff Burton
20. Juan Pablo Montoya
21. Jamie McMurray
22. Casey Mears
23. Joey Logano
24. Trevor Bayne
25. Tony Stewart
26. David Gilliland
27. Kurt Busch
28. Bobby Labonte
29. Travis Kvapil
30. Danica Patrick
31. T.J. Bell
32. Marcos Ambrose
33. AJ Allmendinger
34. Mark Martin
35. David Ragan
36. Michael McDowell
37. Scott Speed
38. David Stremme
39. Stephen Leicht
40. Dave Blaney
41. Joe Nemechek
42. Cole Whitt
43. Josh Wise

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR Coke 600 2012: TV Time, Starting Lineup & More

Jeff Gordon will be looking to put an end to his nightmare season of tough luck and try to begin turning things around on Sunday at the 2012 Coca-Cola 600. The race is the longest of the year in the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and will be held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the site of last week's All-Star Race.

Gordon did not do as well as he had hoped in qualifying and will be slotted in at the No. 23 position in the starting lineup. Fellow Bay Area driver A.J. Allmendinger fared much better, as he will be No. 11 in the starting grid. Both Allmendinger and Gorden are coming off finishes lower than 30th place in their last points-earning race.

Aric Almirola has just one Top 10 finish this season, but will hold down the pole position in the starting lineup on Sunday.

Sunday's race begins at approximately 3:19 p.m. PT and will be televised nationally on FOX. If you wanted to listen on the radio, you can listen on the Performance Racing Network's Web site. You can also check PRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.

Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday afternoon's Coca-Cola 600:

1. Aric Almirola
2. Marcos Ambrose
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Greg Biffle
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Mark Martin
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Denny Hamlin
9. Paul Menard
10. Regan Smith
11. AJ Allmendinger
12. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
13. Trevor Bayne
14. Kevin Harvick
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Ryan Newman
17. Kyle Busch
18. Landon Cassill
19. Joey Logano
20. Matt Kenseth
21. Tony Stewart
22. Jeff Burton
23. Jeff Gordon
24. Brad Keselowski
25. Casey Mears
26. Bobby Labonte
27. Cole Whitt
28. Carl Edwards
29. Juan Pablo Montoya
30. David Ragan
31. Jamie McMurray
32. Michael McDowell
33. Josh Wise
34. Stephen Leicht
35. David Stremme
36. Dave Blaney
37. Travis Kvapil
38. Scott Speed
39. David Gilliland
40. Danica Patrick
41. TJ Bell
42. Kurt Busch
43. Joe Nemechek

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR All-Star Race 2012 Results: Jimmie Johnson Wins, A.J. Allmendinger Places 11th

On Saturday night in Charlotte, the 2012 Sprint Cup Series took a break from points-earning races to run the Sprint NASCAR All-Star Race. The event is a chance for the NASCAR drivers to really let loose and give the fans plenty of reasons to cheer, but the top prize of a $1 million check is also pretty nice.

The check eventually went to Jimmie Johnson, who took the checkered flag easily in the five-segment, 90-lap All-Star Race.

A.J. Allmendinger placed second in the Sprint Showdown earlier in the evening, which allowed him to enter the All-Star Race, along with Showdown winner Dale Earnhardt, Jr.. Allmendinger actually ended up finishing higher in the All-Star Race than his fellow Bay Area driver, Jeff Gordon. Of course, the final standings don't have any bearing, but it's worth nothing.

Here are the full All-Star Race results:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Brad Keselowski
3. Matt Kenseth
4. Kyle Busch
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Marcos Ambrose
8. Kurt Busch
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Ryan Newman
11. AJ Allmendinger
12. Regan Smith
13. Jeff Gordon
14. Clint Bowyer
15. Trevor Bayne
16. Paul Menard
17. Tony Stewart
18. David Ragan
19. Bobby Labonte
20. Denny Hamlin
21. Mark Martin
22. Greg Biffle
23. Carl Edwards

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR All-Star Race 2012: Jeff Gordon Tries To Turn His Year Around In $1 Million Race

Jeff Gordon has had a fairly snake-bit run so far in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, with one unfortunate turn of events or malfunction after another to begin the year. Still, he will be competing in the 2012 Sprint NASCAR All-Star Race in Charlotte on Saturday and will hope that he can walk away with the bragging rights and the check for $1 million that goes to the race winner. While Gordon will not receive points in the race, a victory would be a great confidence boost and a way to start turning things around. Gordon will be No. 8 in the starting lineup on Saturday.

The other native Bay Area driver, A.J. Allmendinger, is not yet guaranteed a spot in the All-Star Race proper. The All-Star Race has a preliminary race and Allmendinger holds the pole position. The Sprint Showdown is a 40-lap race to determine two of the last three entrants into the main event.

The Showdown begins at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT and the All-Star Race green flag will be at 6:12 p.m. PT. The race will air on the SPEED Network and you can listen on the Performance Racing Network's Web site. You can also check PRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in your area.

Here's the starting lineup for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Ryan Newman
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Greg Biffle
5. Kevin Harvick
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Paul Menard
8. Jeff Gordon
9. Tony Stewart
10. Regan Smith
11. Trevor Bayne
12. Clint Bowyer
13. Carl Edwards
14. David Ragan
15. Matt Kenseth
16. Mark Martin
17. Kurt Busch
18. Marcos Ambrose
19. Brad Keselowski
20. Kasey Kahne
21. Sprint Showdown winner
22. Sprint Showdown runner-up
23. Sprint Fan Vote winner

And here is the starting lineup for the Sprint Showdown:

1. AJ Allmendinger
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Jeff Burton
5. Aric Almirola
6. Landon Cassill
7. Juan Pablo Montoya
8. Bobby Labonte
9. Travis Kvapil
10. David Stremme
11. Casey Mears
12. David Reutimann
13. Joey Logano
14. Stephen Leicht
15. Scott Speed
16. David Gilliland
17. Mike Bliss
18. JJ Yeley
19. Jamie McMurray
20. Joe Nemechek
21. Josh Wise
22. Tony Raines

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Darlington Raceway 2012 Results: Jeff Gordon's Nightmare Season Continues

On Saturday night, Jeff Gordon joined 42 other drivers under the lights at the beloved Darlington Raceway for the 2012 Southern 500. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Race was where Gordon hoped he could turn around his dismal luck and begin making headway after the worst start to a year in his professional career. Alas, he luck did not change on Saturday.

Although Gordon has seven career victories at Darlington, he had to pit twice due to flat tires and lost crucial laps on the tricky course. Gordon finished in 35th place. Fellow Bay Area native A.J. Allmendinger did not fare much better, finishing 33rd. Jimmie Johnson took home the checkered flag in his first win of the year and moves to fifth place in the Sprint Cup standings.

Here are the full results for Saturday night's Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway:

1. Jimmie Johnson
2. Denny Hamlin
3. Tony Stewart
4. Kyle Busch
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6. Matt Kenseth
7. Carl Edwards
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Marcos Ambrose
10. Joey Logano
11. Clint Bowyer
12. Greg Biffle
13. Paul Menard
14. Regan Smith
15. Brad Keselowski
16. Kevin Harvick
17. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
18. Jeff Burton
19. Aric Almirola
20. Mark Martin
21. Kurt Busch
22. Casey Mears
23. Ryan Newman
24. Juan Montoya
25. David Gilliland
26. Landon Cassill
27. Dave Blaney
28. David Ragan
29. Bobby Labonte
30. Reed Sorenson
31. Danica Patrick
32. Travis Kvapil
33. A.J. Allmendinger
34. Jamie McMurray
35. Jeff Gordon
26. David Reutimann
37. J.J. Yeley
38. Cole Whitt
39. David Stremme
40. Joe Nemecheck
41. Mike Skinner
42. Scott Speed
43. Jose Wise

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Talladega 2012: Jeff Gordon Knocked Out Early, Brad Keselowski Wins

Racing fans everywhere were in for a wild day at Talladega on Sunday. Despite an early wreck that knocked out leader Jeff Gordon in the early going, there were plenty of lead changes late that kept things interesting. AJ Allmendinger, who is from the Bay Area, was in contention all day but faded late finishing 15th overall. Brad Keselowski was the big winner at Talladega, finishing first by a considerable margin.

Here is a complete rundown of the standings, including the driver, the car number and how far back they were of the leader.

1 Brad Keselowski 2 --
2 Kyle Busch 18 0.304 sec
3 Matt Kenseth 17 0.598 sec
4 Kasey Kahne 5 0.636 sec
5 Greg Biffle 16 0.654 sec
6 Clint Bowyer 15 0.692 sec
7 David Ragan 34 0.782 sec
8 Trevor Bayne 21 0.838 sec
9 Dale Earnhardt Jr. 88 0.839 sec
10 Jeff Burton 31 1.046 sec
11 Jamie McMurray 1 1.063 sec
12 Aric Almirola 43 1.115 sec
13 David Gilliland 38 1.218 sec
14 Marcos Ambrose 9 1.233 sec
15 AJ Allmendinger 22 1.292 sec
16 Travis Kvapil 93 1.300 sec
17 Paul Menard 27 1.918 sec
18 Casey Mears 13 7.392 sec
19 Michael Waltrip 55 16.565 sec
20 Kurt Busch 51 1 lap(s)
21 Bobby Labonte 47 2 lap(s)
22 David Reutimann 10 2 lap(s)
23 Denny Hamlin 11 2 lap(s)
24 Tony Stewart 14 4 lap(s)
25 Kevin Harvick 29 9 lap(s)
26 Joey Logano 20 9 lap(s)
27 Robert Richardson Jr. 23 11 lap(s)
28 Martin Truex Jr. 56 27 lap(s)
29 Terry Labonte 32 50 lap(s)
30 Dave Blaney 36 51 lap(s)
31 Carl Edwards 99 51 lap(s)
32 Juan Pablo Montoya 42 51 lap(s)
33 Jeff Gordon 24 51 lap(s)
34 Landon Cassill 83 52 lap(s)
35 Jimmie Johnson 48 132 lap(s)
36 Ryan Newman 39 151 lap(s)
37 Bill Elliott 97 156 lap(s)
38 Tony Raines 33 161 lap(s)
39 David Stremme 30 163 lap(s)
40 Regan Smith 78 178 lap(s)
41 Joe Nemechek 87 186 lap(s)
42 Josh Wise 26 188 lap(s)
43 Michael McDowell 98 191 lap(s)

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Talladega 2012: Jeff Gordon Holds Pole Position

On Sunday the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will descend on Talladega Superspeedway for the first time this year. Saturday's Nationwide Series race was intense and heated and many of the drivers will be heading into Sunday's race with something to prove.

Bay Area driver Jeff Gordon will hold pole position for the race and A.J. Allmendinger holds the No. 2 slot, meaning both Bay Area drivers will be right up front as they chase the checkered flag on one of the most famous raceways in the world. Allmendinger has a second-place finish, but neither driver has a win yet this season.Greg Biffle remains the overall leader and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is hot on his heels.

The race will begin at 10:20 a.m. PT on Sunday and will be televised nationally on FOX.

Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway:

1. Jeff Gordon
2. AJ Allmendinger
3. Marcos Ambrose
4. Aric Almirola
5. Kasey Kahne
6. Greg Biffle
7. Carl Edwards
8. Tony Stewart
9. Michael Waltrip
10. Matt Kenseth
11. Trevor Bayne
12. Juan Pablo Montoya
13. Brad Keselowski
14. Ryan Newman
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Josh Wise
17. Paul Menard
18. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
19. Jimmie Johnson
20. Kevin Harvick
21. Kyle Busch
22. Denny Hamlin
23. Jamie McMurray
24. Clint Bowyer
25. Casey Mears
26. David Gilliland
27. David Stremme
28. Terry Labonte
29. Jeff Burton
30. Joey Logano
31. Regan Smith
32. David Ragan
33. Kurt Busch
34. David Reutimann
35. Michael McDowell
36. Bill Elliott
37. Joe Nemechek
38. Dave Blaney
39. Robert Richardson Jr.
40. Tony Raines
41. Landon Cassill
42. David Reutimann
43. Bobby Labonte

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Richmond 2012 Results: Kyle Busch Takes Checkered Flag, A.J. Allmendinger Finishes 16th

Kyle Busch took home the checkered flag at the Capital City 400 on Saturday. The race at Richmond International Raceway was the second Saturday in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series and the third short-track race in the past four races.

Bay Area driver A.J. Allmendinger finished in 16th place, which wasn't the ideal result but was markedly better than last week's 32nd-place finish. The short track continued to be unkind to fellow Bay Area driver Jeff Gordon, who finished in 23rd place.

Allmendinger jumps two spots in the Sprint Cup standings, to No. 21 overall, while Gordonalso managed to pick up enough points to climb a spot and now sits at No. 17. There's still plenty of time left in the season for both men to make a run at the top 10.

There was a bit of controversy on one of the restarts, with 83 laps remaining. Jeff Gluck at SB Nation explains the situation far better than I could, so click through to read about that.

Here are the full results from Saturday's race at Richmond:

1. Kyle Busch
2. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
3. Tony Stewart
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Kasey Kahne
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Clint Bowyer
8. Mark Martin
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Carl Edwards
11. Matt Kenseth
12. Juan Pablo Montoya
13. Paul Menard
14. Jamie McMurray
15. Ryan Newman
16. AJ Allmendinger
17. Bobby Labonte
18. Greg Biffle
19. Kevin Harvick
20. Landon Cassill
21. Casey Mears
22. Marcos Ambrose
23. Jeff Gordon
24. Joey Logano
25. Martin Truex Jr.
26. Aric Almirola
27. Regan Smith
28. Kurt Busch
29. Dave Blaney
30. Travis Kvapil
31. Jeff Burton
32. David Ragan
33. David Reutimann
34. Reed Sorenson
35. Stephen Leicht
36. David Gilliland
37. David Stremme
38. Josh Wise
39. Michael McDowell
40. Cole Whitt
41. Joe Nemechek
42. Mike Bliss
43. Scott Speed

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Kansas Speedway 2012 Results: Denny Hamlin Wins, A.J. Allmendinger Drops 4 Spots In Standings

A.J. Allmendinger gained the pole position for just the second time in his career prior to Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway. Unfortunately, the STP 400 was not kind to the Bay Area native, as Allmendinger experienced engine problems in the race after leading for the first 44 laps and finished in 32nd place.

As a result of his poor finish, Allmendinger drops four places in the 2012 Sprint Cup Series standings and is now in 23rd place overall. Fellow Bay Area native Jeff Gordon finished the race in 21st place and also dropped one spot in the standings, to No. 18.

The race was won by Denny Hamlin, who moves into fifth place with his second victory of the year. Martin Truex. Jr. placed second and led for the most laps. Truex now jumps from fourth place to second place in the standings, 15 points behind overall leader Greg Biffle, who placed fifth.

Here are the results from Sunday's NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway:

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Martin Truex Jr.
3. Jimmie Johnson
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Greg Biffle
6. Kevin Harvick
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Kasey Kahne
9. Carl Edwards
10. Kyle Busch
11. Brad Keselowski
12. Juan Pablo Montoya
13. Tony Stewart
14. Jamie McMurray
15. Joey Logano
16. Marcos Ambrose
17. Kurt Busch
18. Paul Menard
19. Sam Hornish Jr.
20. Ryan Newman
21. Jeff Gordon
22. Jeff Burton
23. Aric Almirola
24. Regan Smith
25. Travis Kvapil
26. Casey Mears
27. David Gilliland
28. Reed Sorenson
29. David Reutimann
30. David Ragan
31. JJ Yeley
32. AJ Allmendinger
33. Mark Martin
34. Landon Cassill
35. Bobby Labonte
36. Clint Bowyer
37. Dave Blaney
38. David Stremme
39. Josh Wise
40. Michael McDowell
41. Joe Nemechek
42. Mike Bliss
43. Scott Riggs

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Kansas Speedway 2012: A.J. Allmendinger Wins Pole Position For Sunday's Race

On Sunday, the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will continue, with the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. Bay Area native A.J. Allmendinger won his second-ever career pole position during qualifying and will be in prime position for a strong finish on the 1.5-mile track.

Allmendinger and fellow Bay Area native Jeff Gordon will be looking to rack up some significant points and make a climb up the Sprint Cup standings. Allmendinger in particular is poised to do just that. Gordon did not fare nearly as well during qualifying, as he will be No. 20 in the starting lineup.

The green flag will drop on Sunday at 10:16 a.m. ET, so get to your television early if you want to catch this one. The race will be televised on FOX.

Starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway:

1. AJ Allmendinger
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Joey Logano
4. Denny Hamlin
5. Mark Martin
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
8. Clint Bowyer
9. Kasey Kahne
10. Sam Hornish Jr.
11. Brad Keselowski
12. Jeff Burton
13. Ryan Newman
14. Kurt Busch
15. Jimmie Johnson
16. David Reutimann
17. Greg Biffle
18. Matt Kenseth
19. Paul Menard
20. Jeff Gordon
21. David Gilliland
22. Carl Edwards
23. Tony Stewart
24. David Stremme
25. Kyle Busch
26. Aric Almirola
27. David Ragan
28. Marcos Ambrose
29. Regan Smith
30. Bobby Labonte
31. JJ Yeley
32. Landon Cassill
33. Dave Blaney
34. Travis Kvapil
35. Scott Riggs
36. Jamie McMurray
37. Michael McDowell
38. Josh Wise
39. Juan Pablo Montoya
40. Casey Mears
41. Joe Nemechek
42. Reed Sorenson
43. Mike Bliss

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Texas Motor Speedway 2012: Jeff Gordon Finishes 4th, Greg Biffle Takes Checkered Flag

In the first Saturday race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, the Samsung Mobile 500 was held at Texas Motor Speedway. The race was a good one for both Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger, who represented the Bay Area with strong showings, particularly for Gordon.

The race was largely free of dramatics and was won by Greg Biffle, who extended his lead atop the Sprint Cup leaderboard to 19 points over Matt Kenseth and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.

Gordon had his best finish of the season, placing fourth and improving to 17th place in the Sprint Cup standings. Allmendinger's 15th-place finish ties his second-best placing of the young season, moving him up to 20th place in the standings. This 15th-place performance is on the heels of his best 2012 race to date, when he placed second at Martinsville two weeks ago.

Here are the full results for Saturday's race:

1. Greg Biffle
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Mark Martin
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Matt Kenseth
6. Martin Truex Jr.
7. Kasey Kahne
8. Carl Edwards
9. Kevin Harvick
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11. Kyle Busch
12. Denny Hamlin
13. Kurt Busch
14. Jamie McMurray
15. AJ Allmendinger
16. Juan Pablo Montoya
17. Clint Bowyer
18. Paul Menard
19. Joey Logano
20. Marcos Ambrose
21. Ryan Newman
22. Aric Almirola
23. Regan Smith
24. Tony Stewart
25. Casey Mears
26. David Reutimann
27. Bobby Labonte
28. Trevor Bayne
29. Jeff Burton
30. Landon Cassill
31. David Gilliland
32. Reed Sorenson
33. JJ Yeley
34. Tony Raines
35. David Ragan
36. Brad Keselowski
37. Dave Blaney
38. Travis Kvapil
39. Josh Wise
40. Mike Bliss
41. Michael McDowell
42. Scott Riggs
43. Scott Speed

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Martinsville Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Runs Out Of Gas, A.J. Allmendinger Finishes 2nd Behind Ryan Newman

Bay Area drivers Jeff Gordon and AJ Allmendinger were able to make some strides at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, although both drivers were victims of some tough luck.

Jeff Gordon led for a whopping 322 out of 500 laps but was done in by an untimely caution flag on Lap 497. He was in the lead prior to a green-white-checkered-flag restart. Clint Bowyer caused Gordon and Jimmie Johnson to spin out on the restart, resulting in another caution. Unable to pit during the overtime laps while waiting for a restart, Gordon ran out of gas on the track, bringing a tough end to his strong day of racing.

Ryan Newman was able to move into prime position after the spin out and passed AJ Allmendinger on the white flag lap of the second restart. Allmendinger still finished in second place and both he and Gordon were able to leap several spots in the Sprint Cup standings. Gordon is now 18th and Allmendinger is 21st.

Here are the full results of Sunday's race:

1. Ryan Newman
2. AJ Allmendinger
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Matt Kenseth
5. Martin Truex Jr.
6. Denny Hamlin
7. Tony Stewart
8. Aric Almirola
9. Brad Keselowski
10. Clint Bowyer
11. Carl Edwards
12. Jimmie Johnson
13. Greg Biffle
14. Jeff Gordon
15. Marcos Ambrose
16. Regan Smith
17. Bobby Labonte
18. Brian Vickers
19. Kevin Harvick
20. Jamie McMurray
21. Juan Pablo Montoya
22. Jeff Burton
23. Joey Logano
24. David Ragan
25. Casey Mears
26. Paul Menard
27. Travis Kvapil
28. David Gilliland
29. Landon Cassill
30. David Stremme
31. Hermie Sadler
32. Ken Schrader
33. Kurt Busch
34. Dave Blaney
35. David Reutimann
36. Kyle Busch
37. JJ Yeley
38. Kasey Kahne
39. Joe Nemechek
40. Michael McDowell
41. Josh Wise
42. Scott Riggs
43. Reed Sorenson

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Martinsville 2012: Jeff Gordon 9th In Starting Lineup

On Sunday, NASCAR will come to Martinsville Speedway in Virginia for the Goody's Fast Relief 500. The 500-lap short-track race will be the second in two weeks, but the track -- which clocks in at just over half a mile -- is the shortest in all of NASCAR.

Jeff Gordon will be looking to climb above his current positioning as No. 25 in the Sprint Cup standings. He is in a great spot to gain some ground, as he will be ninth in the starting lineup on Sunday.

Fellow Bay Area native AJ Allmendinger did not fare nearly so well in the time trials, as he sits in the 27th position in the starting lineup. Allmendinger is currently right behind Gordon in the Sprint Cup standings.

The race will be televised nationally on FOX and the green flag will be waved at 10:14 p.m. PT.

Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday's race.

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Denny Hamlin
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Ryan Newman
6. Brian Vickers
7. Brad Keselowski
8. Kyle Busch
9. Jeff Gordon
10. Joey Logano
11. Paul Menard
12. Marcos Ambrose
13. Martin Truex Jr.
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
15. Tony Stewart
16. Bobby Labonte
17. Regan Smith
18. Jeff Burton
19. Aric Almirola
20. Jamie McMurray
21. Matt Kenseth
22. Jimmie Johnson
23. Michael McDowell
24. David Ragan
25. Casey Mears
26. Greg Biffle
27. AJ Allmendinger
28. Carl Edwards
29. David Reutimann
30. Josh Wise
31. Landon Cassill
32. Juan Pablo Montoya
33. Scott Riggs
34. Travis Kvapil
35. Reed Sorenson
36. Ken Schrader
37. Joe Nemechek
38. David Gilliland
39. David Stremme
40. Kurt Busch
41. Hermie Sadler
42. Dave Blaney
43. JJ Yeley

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Fontana 2012 Results: A.J. Allmendinger Finishes 15th, Tony Stewart Wins Shortened Race

The 2012 Sprint Cup Series continued on Sunday. The fifth race of the season was held in Fontana at the Auto Club Speedway, the only Sprint Cup race that will be held in Southern California this year. The rains also came to Fontana on Sunday, eventually shortening the race for the first time in the history of the speedway.

The Auto Club 400 was officially called on Lap 129 of 200, with Tony Stewart being awarded the win due to his lead at the time of the decision. Stewart has juked toward pit road when the initial caution came out on Lap 124 but stayed out with the pace car. The decision netted him his second win of the year.

Bay Area native A.J. Allmendinger finished in 15th place, while Jeff Gordon finished 26th. Gordon and Allmendinger are now 25th and 26th in the overall Sprint Cup standings, respectively. Greg Biffle finished in sixth place and remains the overall leader.

The complete results of Sunday's Auto Club 400:

1. Tony Stewart
2. Kyle Busch
3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
4. Kevin Harvick
5. Carl Edwards
6. Greg Biffle
7. Ryan Newman
8. Martin Truex Jr.
9. Kurt Busch
10. Jimmie Johnson
11. Denny Hamlin
12. Mark Martin
13. Clint Bowyer
14. Kasey Kahne
15. AJ Allmendinger
16. Matt Kenseth
17. Juan Pablo Montoya
18. Brad Keselowski
19. Paul Menard
20. Regan Smith
21. Marcos Ambrose
22. Jeff Burton
23. Casey Mears
24. Joey Logano
25. Aric Almirola
26. Jeff Gordon
27. David Reutimann
28. Bobby Labonte
29. Travis Kvapil
30. David Gilliland
31. David Ragan
32. Jamie McMurray
33. Dave Blaney
34. Ken Schrader
35. JJ Yeley
36. Landon Cassill
37. Josh Wise
38. Michael McDowell
39. David Stremme
40. Mike Bliss
41. Scott Riggs
42. Reed Sorenson
43. Brendan Gaughan

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Bristol 2012 Results: A.J. Allmendinger Finishes 17th, Bred Keselowski Takes Checkered Flag

The fourth NASCAR race of the year was held on Sunday, as the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway became the first short-track race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series. Bay Area native A.J. Allmendinger looked poised for a top-10 finish at the very least, before problems with his car forced him to make an unscheduled stop in pit road and lost valuable time and laps. Allmendinger manager to finish 17th, but the result was a disappointment following his strong start before the car troubles. The finish is still the highest placing of the year for the driver, who is currently 26th in the overall Sprint Cup standings.

Fellow Bay Area native Jeff Gordon did not fare quite so well, finishing in 35th place after he was inadvertently wrecked by Hendrick Motorsports teammate on lap 363. Gordon is now 23rd in the Sprint Cup standings.

Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag in his second straight win at Bristol. Greg Biffle, Keven Harvick and Matt Kenseth are still the top three leaders, respectively, in the Sprint Cup standings.

Here are the full results from Sunday's race:

1. Brad Keselowski
2. Matt Kenseth
3. Martin Truex Jr.
4. Clint Bowyer
5. Brian Vickers
6. Jeff Burton
7. Jamie McMurray
8. Juan Pablo Montoya
9. Jimmie Johnson
10. Paul Menard
11. Kevin Harvick
12. Ryan Newman
13. Greg Biffle
14. Tony Stewart
15. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
16. Joey Logano
17. AJ Allmendinger
18. Kurt Busch
19. Aric Almirola
20. Denny Hamlin
21. David Reutimann
22. Brendan Gaughan
23. David Ragan
24. Regan Smith
25. Casey Mears
26. David Gilliland
27. Travis Kvapil
28. Bobby Labonte
29. Landon Cassill
30. JJ Yeley
31. Michael McDowell
32. Kyle Busch
33. Ken Schrader
34. Dave Blaney
35. Jeff Gordon
36. Marcos Ambrose
37. Kasey Kahne
38. David Stremme
39. Carl Edwards
40. Joe Nemechek
41. Scott Riggs
42. Reed Sorenson
43. Josh Wise

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Bristol 2012: Start Time, Starting Lineup, TV/Radio Schedule And More

The fourth race of the 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup season will take place on Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Food City 500 is a 500-lap race that clocks in at 266.5 total miles, so it will be a race that runs on the shorter side. Bay Area natives Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger are both looking to improve their respective standings in the Sprint Cup chase and they will both have optimal placement when the race begins. Allmendinger will have the second slot in the starting lineup, behind pole position winner Greg Biffle, while Gordon will start fourth in the order.

The race will begin at 1:07 p.m. EDT and will be televised nationally on FOX. If you wanted to listen online, head over to the Performance Racing Network's Web site. You can also check PRN's site for a list of affiliate stations in the Bay Area.

Here's the full starting lineup for Sunday's race:

1. Greg Biffle
2. AJ Allmendinger
3. Ryan Newman
4. Jeff Gordon
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Regan Smith
7. Aric Almirola
8. Carl Edwards
9. Joey Logano
10. Kasey Kahne
11. Paul Menard
12. Marcos Ambrose
13. Kyle Busch
14. Kevin Harvick
15. Martin Truex Jr.
16. Clint Bowyer
17. Jamie McMurray
18. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
19. David Reutimann
20. Denny Hamlin
21. Matt Kenseth
22. Jimmie Johnson
23. Tony Stewart
24. Casey Mears
25. Brian Vickers
26. David Gilliland
27. Kurt Busch
28. David Stremme
29. Landon Cassill
30. Juan Pablo Montoya
31. David Ragan
32. Brendan Gaughan
33. Jeff Burton
34. Travis Kvapil
35. Dave Blaney
36. Bobby Labonte
37. Josh Wise
38. Reed Sorenson
39. Michael McDowell
40. JJ Yeley
41. Joe Nemechek
42. Ken Schrader
43. Scott Riggs

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR Las Vegas Results 2012: Jeff Gordon Comes In 12th, Tony Stewart Takes Checkered Flag

Bay Area NASCAR drivers Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger headed into Sunday's Kobalt Tools 400 looking to make some noise. The third race of the 2012 Sprint Cup season took place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Gordon had another solid performance, finishing in 12th place, while Allmendinger had a poor follow-up to last week's 18th place, coming in 37th. Allmendinger is now in 30th place overall in the Sprint Cup standings. Gordon is 17th overall with 75 points. The new points leader is Greg Biffle, who took third place for the third consecutive week. He now has 125 points, while Kevin Harvick is second with 115.

Tony Stewart ended up taking the checkered flag in the race, while Jimmie Johnson came in second. Johnson's fourth place finish last week and second place finish on Sunday are doing a good job of erasing his performance in the Daytona 500 to open the season, when he wrecked, finished 42nd and was penalized 25 points for rules infractions.

Here are the full results from Sunday's race.

1. Tony Stewart
2. Jimmie Johnson
3. Greg Biffle
4. Ryan Newman
5. Carl Edwards
6. Clint Bowyer
7. Paul Menard
8. Jamie McMurray
9. Trevor Bayne
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
11. Kevin Harvick
12. Jeff Gordon
13. Marcos Ambrose
14. Jeff Burton
15. Regan Smith
16. Joey Logano
17. Martin Truex Jr.
18. Mark Martin
19. Kasey Kahne
20. Denny Hamlin
21. David Ragan
22. Matt Kenseth
23. Kyle Busch
24. Aric Almirola
25. Juan Pablo Montoya
26. Bobby Labonte
27. Casey Mears
28. David Stremme
29. Dave Blaney
30. Ken Schrader
31. David Reutimann
32. Brad Keselowski
33. David Gilliland
34. Brendan Gaughan
35. Kurt Busch
36. Landon Cassill
37. AJ Allmendinger
38. Michael McDowell
39. Travis Kvapil
40. Josh Wise
41. Joe Nemechek
42. Timmy Hill
43. JJ Yeley

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

NASCAR At Las Vegas: 2012 Start Time, Starting Lineup, TV/Radio Schedule And More

The Kobalt Tools 400 will take place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday. Jeff Gordon and AJ Allmendinger will both be looking to represent the Bay Area and place well in the race in order to improve their respective standings in the Sprint Cup chase. Sunday's event will be the third race of the 2012 Sprint Cup season. Gordon currently sits in 22nd place overall in the standings, while Allmendinger is 25th.

Neither driver participated in Saturday's Nationwide race, which was won by Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

The race will begin at 12:08 p.m. PDT on Sunday, so hopefully you remembered to set your clocks forward. The telecast can be found on FOX. No rain is expected, which of course is nothing but good news.

Here is the full starting lineup for Sunday's race:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Kyle Busch
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Tony Stewart
8. Joey Logano
9. Greg Biffle
10. Martin Truex Jr.
11. Matt Kenseth
12. Kurt Busch
13. Mark Martin
14. AJ Allmendinger
15. Marcos Ambrose
16. Jeff Gordon
17. Denny Hamlin
18. Ryan Newman
19. Jamie McMurray
20. Brad Keselowski
21. Carl Edwards
22. Jeff Burton
23. Brendan Gaughan
24. Bobby Labonte
25. Trevor Bayne
26. Paul Menard
27. Aric Almirola
28. Regan Smith
29. Juan Pablo Montoya
30. Landon Cassill
31. David Reutimann
32. Casey Mears
33. Josh Wise
34. David Gilliland
35. David Ragan
36. JJ Yeley
37. Travis Kvapil
38. Dave Blaney
39. Michael McDowell
40. Joe Nemechek
41. Ken Schrader
42. Timmy Hill
43. David Stremme

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

Sprint Cup 2012: Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger Ready For NASCAR Las Vegas

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race in Las Vegas is on Sunday. Kasey Kahne, in the qualifying runs, earned himself his 23rd career pole position. His average lap speed was 190.456 mph, which was a track record at LVMS.

Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger, drivers from the Bay Area are in 16th and 14th places, respectively.

Two drivers failed to qualify for the race. They were Scott Riggs and Robby Gordon.

Here is the starting lineup for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Las Vegas:

1. Kasey Kahne
2. Kyle Busch
3. Kevin Harvick
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
5. Clint Bowyer
6. Jimmie Johnson
7. Tony Stewart
8. Joey Logano
9. Greg Biffle
10. Martin Truex Jr.
11. Matt Kenseth
12. Kurt Busch
13. Mark Martin
14. AJ Allmendinger
15. Marcos Ambrose
16. Jeff Gordon
17. Denny Hamlin
18. Ryan Newman
19. Jamie McMurray
20. Brad Keselowski
21. Carl Edwards
22. Jeff Burton
23. Brendan Gaughan
24. Bobby Labonte
25. Trevor Bayne
26. Paul Menard
27. Aric Almirola
28. Regan Smith
29. Juan Pablo Montoya
30. Landon Cassill
31. David Reutimann
32. Casey Mears
33. Josh Wise
34. David Gilliland
35. David Ragan
36. JJ Yeley
37. Travis Kvapil
38. Dave Blaney
39. Michael McDowell
40. Joe Nemechek
41. Ken Schrader
42. Timmy Hill
43. David Stremme

Follow the SB Nation NASCAR Story Stream here.

NASCAR Phoenix Results: Denny Hamlin Takes Checkered Flag, Jeff Gordon Finishes 8th

The Subway Fresh Fit 500 took place on Sunday at the Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona. The second race of the 2012 Sprint Cup Series saw far fewer crashes than the Daytona 500 a week earlier, including remarkably fewer instances of a jet drier bursting into flame.

Bay Area drivers Jeff Gordon and A.J. Allmendinger both took part in the race. Allmendinger had much better placement in the starting grid, but did not end up having as good a race as Gordon. Although Allmendinger entered the race in the No. 16 slot in the starting grid, he finished the race in 18th place. Gordon started in the No. 30 slot but finished eighth.

The race was ultimately won by Denny Hamlin, who held off Kevin Harvick to take the checkered flag. Hamlin came in fourth in the Daytona 500 and is now in first place in the Sprint Cup standings with 89 points. Gordon is in 22nd place overall with 42 points, while Allmendinger is in 25th place with 36 points.

You can check out the full results of the race below.

1. Denny Hamlin
2. Kevin Harvick
3. Greg Biffle
4. Jimmie Johnson
5. Brad Keselowski
6. Kyle Busch
7. Martin Truex Jr.
8. Jeff Gordon
9. Mark Martin
10. Joey Logano
11. Juan Pablo Montoya
12. Aric Almirola
13. Matt Kenseth
14. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
15. Kurt Busch
16. Bobby Labonte
17. Carl Edwards
18. AJ Allmendinger
19. Travis Kvapil
20. Regan Smith
21. Ryan Newman
22. Tony Stewart
23. Dave Blaney
24. Mike Bliss
25. David Ragan
26. JJ Yeley
27. Brendan Gaughan
28. David Gilliland
29. David Stremme
30. Clint Bowyer
31. Paul Menard
32. Marcos Ambrose
33. Jeff Burton
34. Kasey Kahne
35. Landon Cassill
36. David Reutimann
37. Jamie McMurray
38. Josh Wise
39. Casey Mears
40. Joe Nemechek
41. Robby Gordon
42. Scott Riggs
43. Michael McDowell

For all news and information regarding the 2012 Sprint Cup Series, please visit NASCAR Ranting & Raving or check out SB Nation's dedicated NASCAR hub.

Daytona 500 2012 Champion: Matt Kenseth; Jeff Gordon & A.J. Allmendinger Bottom Out

The Daytona 500 is complete, and Matt Kenseth ended up doing work. After multiple delays and plenty of other issues in-race, Kenseth was the one who got the checkered flag first and won it all in the end.

The two racers related close to the Bay Area didn't fare too well. A.J. Allmendinger got into a pit row accident that knocked his radiator out. This caused him a lot of delay issues, and Allmendinger finished in the bottom 10 at 34th. Jeff Gordon also didn't finish too well either after his engine blew up, going 40th overall out of 43 racers. So not too many victories for the Bay Area here, although if you were watching the whole thing, all the crashes might have made it worth it. Kind of.

For more on the Great American Race, check out SB Nation NASCAR's Daytona 500 stream, as well as NASCAR Ranting & Raving.