CUP: Friday Chase Notebook

Sprint Cup

CUP: Friday Chase Notebook

Jeff Gordon’s mustache now a part of racing history…

Mike Hembree | Posted September 21, 2012 Loudon, NH

Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Drive to End Hunger Chevrolet, stands in the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. (Photo: Getty Images)

Gordon Has Close Shave – Jeff Gordon’s mustache disappeared almost as quickly as it arrived.

After a sour Chase opener last week at Chicagoland Speedway, Gordon decided to shave the mustache he started growing when he qualified for the Chase. Originally, he had told fans he would bring back the mustache from his rookie season if he made the Chase.

“So I brought it back, and then, with the way that it went last week, I was like, ‘OK, I’m done with the mustache,’ ” Gordon said Friday. “I just changed my mind. … I guess the other thing was that I went in the other weekend saying, ‘OK, the only way I’m not going to look ridiculous is if we’re out there winning.’ Obviously, we didn’t do that at Chicago. It wasn’t hard to take it off. I can promise you that.’

Kurt Busch To Furniture Row? – Kurt Busch might be moving along to Furniture Row Racing for the 2013 season.

Regan Smith, currently driving for the Denver, CO-based team, told The Sporting News Friday that he doesn’t think he’ll be back with that organization next season.

Busch, now driving for Spartanburg, SC-based Phoenix Racing, has been under consideration by Furniture Row for a possible second car. Busch apparently also has other possibilities for next season.

2013 Schedule Forming – The 2013 Sprint Cup schedule is taking shape with no real surprises.

Kansas Speedway announced its two dates Friday, with its biggest news that the track’s fall race weekend will return to early October (Oct. 6), marking the fourth race in the Chase. This year’s second Kansas race is scheduled Oct. 21.

The Kansas track’s other 2013 Cup race is scheduled April 21.

Talladega Superspeedway confirmed its 2013 dates – May 5 and Oct. 20, moving Talladega back to its typical late-October slot for its Chase race.

Kenseth Not Into Predictions – After a disappointing run at Chicagoland Speedway last week, Denny Hamlin boldly predicted a victory Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

That sort of puts Hamlin’s neck on the line. Matt Kenseth, who also needs a solid run Sunday after a mediocre race at Chicago, said it’s not an approach he favors.

“That works really good for some people and not as good for others,” he said. “I’m one of those guys that really doesn’t like to make predictions, especially winning ones, because you either say, ‘Oh, OK, he said that,’ or else it’s disappointment, so I’ve never been like that.

“Some people are like that, and it works out really well for them. It builds confidence and all that. I’ve just never been like that. I like to try to do it first, or else I just end up disappointed.”

Friday afternoon at Loudon, Hamlin took a step or two away from his earlier prediction.

“It was really meant to be nothing more than just, ‘Hey, we’ll get them next week. We’ll win it next week’ ” he said. “People were just taking it a little further than that, but I’m racing, doing the best I can, and that’s all I’m going to do.”

Racer Clay Campbell Returns – Mixed in with the list of rising youngsters competing in the K&N Pro Series East race this weekend at NHMS is a name familiar to race fans for other reasons.

Martinsville Speedway president Clay Campbell, who has tried his hand in various racing divisions in recent years, is entered in Saturday’s G-Oil 100 K&N race. He qualified 24th.

Also entered in the race are spotlighted newcomers Corey LaJoie (starting fourth), Darrell Wallace Jr. (sixth), Travis Pastrana (14th), Chase Elliott (fifth) and Dylan Kwasniewski ) 10th. Brett Moffitt won the pole.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEED.com and has been covering motorsports for 30 years. He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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Mike Hembree

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