Alsco 300 (Kentucky)
The Alsco 300 is a NASCAR Xfinity Series race held at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, United States. The distance of the race is 300 miles (482.803 km).
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| NASCAR Xfinity Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Kentucky Speedway |
| Location | Sparta, Kentucky, United States |
| Corporate sponsor | Alsco Shady Rays |
| First race | 2001 |
| Distance | 300 miles (480 km) |
| Laps | 200 (Stage 1: 45 Stage 2: 45 Stage 3: 110) |
| Previous names | Outback Steakhouse 300 (2001) Kroger 300 (2002) Meijer 300 (2003–2010) Feed the Children 300 (2011–2013) John R. Elliott HERO Campaign 300 presented by Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over (2014) Kentucky 300 (2015) Shady Rays 200 (2nd, 2020) |
| Most wins (driver) | Joey Logano Brad Keselowski Kyle Busch (3) |
| Most wins (team) | Joe Gibbs Racing (6) |
| Most wins (manufacturer) | Ford (8) |
| Circuit information | |
| Surface | Asphalt |
| Length | 1.5 mi (2.4 km) |
| Turns | 4 |
History
Kentucky Speedway, opened in 2000, by Jerry Carrol. Darrell Waltrip took place to design part of the racetrack. The first Xfinity Series race was held in 2001. Brad Paisley sang the National Anthem, and then Cincinnati Bengals player Corey Dillon gave the command to start engines. This race is notable when Travis Kvapil went upside down after clipping Rich Bickle's 59 car off of Turn 2, and the car slid all the way down the backstretch in the turn three grass. Kevin Harvick won the inaugural event.
Hypermarket chain Meijer was the race's sponsor since 2003 after previous sponsorship from Outback Steakhouse and Kroger. Nabisco, through its Oreo and Ritz brands, had been an associate sponsor since the 2002 race. For 2011, the race was sponsored by the Nonprofit organization Feed The Children. Starting in 2016, the race was sponsored by Alsco.[1] In 2017, Alsco signed a multi-year agreement to continue being the sponsor of the NASCAR XFINITY Series race.[2] Alsco is one of only two companies to serve as entitlement sponsor of multiple Xfinity Series events. Each year Alsco provides its sponsorship partners, employees, customer and prospects with over 1,500 tickets to the race.[3]
The race received a doubleheader in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[4] The second race, the Shady Rays 200, was held the day before the Alsco 300.[5]
David Gilliland won here for an underfunded team in 2006 with 8 starts in his résumé. This win gave him the ride in the 38 car in mid-2006, replacing Elliott Sadler in the 38 car. Joey Logano is the first repeat winner, winning three straight years from 2008 to 2010. Also, four different drivers have won at Kentucky Speedway to claim their first Nationwide Series win. David Gilliland (2006), Stephen Leicht (2007), Joey Logano (2008), and Austin Dillon (2012).
Past winners
| Year | Date | No. | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | ||||||||
| 2001 | June 16 | 2 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:31:47 | 118.59 |
| 2002 | June 15/16* | 92 | Todd Bodine | Herzog Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:21:33 | 127.164 |
| 2003 | June 14 | 25 | Bobby Hamilton Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:12:14 | 136.123 |
| 2004 | June 19 | 5 | Kyle Busch | Hendrick Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:22:08 | 126.642 |
| 2005 | June 18 | 60 | Carl Edwards | Roush Racing | Ford | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:33:42 | 117.111 |
| 2006 | June 17 | 84 | David Gilliland | Clay Andrews Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:35:10 | 116.004 |
| 2007 | June 16 | 90 | Stephen Leicht | Robert Yates Racing | Ford | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:32:56 | 117.698 |
| 2008 | June 14 | 20 | Joey Logano | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:12:50 | 135.508 |
| 2009 | June 13 | 20 | Joey Logano | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:20:51 | 127.796 |
| 2010 | June 12 | 20 | Joey Logano | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:36:08 | 115.286 |
| 2011 | July 8 | 22 | Brad Keselowski | Penske Racing | Dodge | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:10.03 | 138.408 |
| 2012 | June 29 | 3 | Austin Dillon | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 1:58:42 | 151.643 |
| 2013 | June 28 | 22 | Brad Keselowski | Penske Racing | Ford | 170* | 255 (410.382) | 1:56:39 | 131.162 |
| 2014 | June 27 | 5 | Kevin Harvick | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:15:33 | 132.792 |
| 2015 | July 10 | 22 | Brad Keselowski | Team Penske | Ford | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:12:18 | 136.054 |
| 2016 | July 8 | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 201* | 301.5 (485.217) | 2:05:24 | 144:258 |
| 2017 | July 8* | 18 | Kyle Busch | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:30:56 | 119.258 |
| 2018 | July 13 | 20 | Christopher Bell | Joe Gibbs Racing | Toyota | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:16:29 | 131.884 |
| 2019 | July 12 | 00 | Cole Custer | Stewart-Haas Racing with Biagi-DenBeste | Ford | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:09:05 | 139.445 |
| 2020 | July 9 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 136* | 204 (328.306) | 1:51:31 | 109.759 |
| July 10 | 22 | Austin Cindric | Team Penske | Ford | 200 | 300 (482.803) | 2:13:25 | 134.916 | |
- 2002: Race started on Saturday night but was finished on Sunday afternoon due to rain.
- 2013: Race shortened due to rain.
- 2016 & 2020: Race extended due to overtime.
- 2017: Race postponed from Friday night to Saturday afternoon due to severe weather.
- 2020: Additional race scheduled on July 9 due to schedule changes resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Multiple winners (drivers)
| # Wins | Driver | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Joey Logano | 2008, 2009, 2010 |
| Brad Keselowski | 2011, 2013, 2015 | |
| Kyle Busch | 2004, 2016, 2017 | |
| 2 | Kevin Harvick | 2001, 2014 |
| Austin Cindric | 2020 (1), 2020 (2) | |
Multiple winners (teams)
| # Wins | Team | Years Won |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | Joe Gibbs Racing | 2008, 2009, 2010, 2016, 2017, 2018 |
| 5 | Team Penske | 2011, 2013, 2015, 2020 (1), 2020 (2) |
| 2 | Richard Childress Racing | 2001, 2012 |
Notable races
- 2008: When Joey Logano won, he became the youngest winner In Nationwide Series history, at 18 years old, 21 days, shattering Casey Atwood's record (18 years, 313 days) that stood since 1999.
- 2013: Rain struck Sparta as Feed the Children 300 ending short and the Quaker State 400 was moved to Sunday afternoon. Brad Keselowski won the rain-shortened race and would go on to get wrecked on Sunday as Kurt Busch turned into Keselowski. This may have started the Kurt Busch vs. Keselowski rivalry that would go on to the 2014 5-hour Energy 400.
- 2014: Brad Keselowski overcame a speeding penalty to get a top 5 finish. Kevin Harvick held off a charging Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski.
References
- "New sponsor for KY Speedway race". WLW. January 21, 2016. Archived from the original on January 27, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2016.
- http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com/fans/news/alsco-extends-partnership-with-kentucky-speedway.html
- http://www.kentuckyspeedway.com/fans/news/alsco-celebrates-third-consecutive-nascar-xfinity-series-alsco-300-kentucky-speedway.html
- Farmer, Keith (June 4, 2020). "Quaker State rescheduled, adds Xfinity races". WLEX-TV. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
- "Shady Rays to sponsor XFINITY race at Kentucky Speedway". Kentucky Speedway (Press release). Jayski's Silly Season Site. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.