FRIDAY NOTEBOOK - THE BUSCH IS BACK, AND PROVES IT WITH STRONG FRIDAY

KYLE BUSCH RETURNS TO SPEED - It hasn't taken long for Kyle Busch to become acclimated in his Sprint Cup ride after being injured at Daytona.

Busch, driving his No. 18 M&M's/Red Nose Day Toyota, was the fastest in Friday's Sprint Cup All-Star Race Practice. Busch ran 45 laps and recorded his fastest lap of the session on lap 44 with a speed of 188.884 mph.

"It felt really good," Busch said. "I was obviously optimistic about coming back and getting some laps in here at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Everything felt good with the M&M's Red Nose Day Toyota Camry, I was excited to get back in and see my guys. Just kind of get the taste of all that again but just trying to get a feel for being back behind the wheel the seat and all, it's been a while.

"As far as I was concerned everything went according to plan."

Defending All-Star Race winner Jamie McMurray laid down the session's second fastest time with a speed of 188.396.

Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Denny Hamlin rounded out the session's top five fastest drivers.

Sprint All-Star Final Practice
Charlotte Motor Speedway
31st Annual NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race
Provided by NASCAR Statistics - Fri, May 15, 2015 @ 03:32 PM Eastern
Pos    Car    Driver    Team    Time    Speed    Lap #    # Laps    -Fastest    -Next
1    18    Kyle Busch    M&M's Red Nose Day Toyota    28.589    188.884    44    45    ---.---                                                                    ---.---                                                                
2    1    Jamie McMurray    Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet    28.663    188.396    36    39    -0.074    -0.074
3    4    Kevin Harvick    Hunt Brothers Pizza Chevrolet    28.684    188.258    34    34    -0.095    -0.021
4    41    Kurt Busch    Haas Automation Chevrolet    28.705    188.121    39    41    -0.116    -0.021
5    11    Denny Hamlin    FedEx Express Toyota    28.770    187.696    47    48    -0.181    -0.065
6    22    Joey Logano    Shell Pennzoil Ford    28.805    187.467    51    53    -0.216    -0.035
7    2    Brad Keselowski    Miller Lite Ford    28.840    187.240    8    45    -0.251    -0.035
8    5    Kasey Kahne    Time Warner Cable Chevrolet    28.855    187.143    1    56    -0.266    -0.015
9    14    Tony Stewart    Bass Pro Shops/Arctic Cat Chevrolet    28.938    186.606    41    47    -0.349    -0.083
10    20    Matt Kenseth    Dollar General Toyota    28.963    186.445    39    40    -0.374    -0.025
11    43    Aric Almirola    Smithfield Ford    28.973    186.380    21    25    -0.384    -0.010
12    88    Dale Earnhardt Jr.    Mountain Dew Baja Blast Chevrolet    29.051    185.880    25    42    -0.462    -0.078
13    19    Carl Edwards    ARRIS Toyota    29.058    185.835    14    30    -0.469    -0.007
14    48    Jimmie Johnson    Lowe's Patriotic Chevrolet    29.059    185.829    43    50    -0.470    -0.001
15    47    AJ Allmendinger    Kingsford Chevrolet    29.083    185.675    32    36    -0.494    -0.024
16    24    Jeff Gordon    Axalta Chevrolet    29.109    185.510    52    52    -0.520    -0.026
17    31    Ryan Newman    Cat/Quicken Loans Chevrolet    29.121    185.433    1    43    -0.532    -0.012
Best 10 Consecutive Lap Average
Pos    Car    Driver    From Lap    To Lap    Avg Speed
1    41     Kurt Busch    28    37    185.338
2    22     Joey Logano    40    49    184.178
3    24     Jeff Gordon    5    14    183.621
4    5      Kasey Kahne    40    49    183.490
5    1      Jamie McMurray    22    31    183.477
6    4      Kevin Harvick    13    22    183.447
7    18     Kyle Busch    26    35    183.307
8    31     Ryan Newman    22    31    182.415
9    11     Denny Hamlin    26    35    181.533
* Car must run 10 consecutive laps on the track to be included in the above chart.
*Required to qualify on time, (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series

BIFFLE, BOWYER AND PATRICK MAKE ALL-STAR FIELD - The 2015 season has been frustrating for Roush-Fenway Racing and veteran driver Greg Biffle. But a glimmer of hope came Friday night as Biffle emerged victorious in the Sprint Showdown's first segment of 20 laps.

The win puts Biffle in the field for Saturday night's Sprint Cup All-Star Race.

“I’m so excited to be able to race for a million dollars tomorrow night,” Biffle said. "I’m excited to be in the big show."

Clint Bowyer would finish behind Biffle in second and pole sitter Paul Menard was third when the first segment came to an end. Austin Dillon and David Ragan rounded out the segment's top five.

It has also been a rocky season fro last year's Sprint Showdown winner Clint Bowyer was not to be denied in the second segment. Bowyer snatched the lead from Paul Menard after his four-tire pit stop and never looked back.

"We took four tires, so I had to go for it on the start," Bowyer said.  "That's what a 20-lap dash is all about, beating and banging and going for it. You know after the first four or five laps you get sorted out and it's really hard to pass."

Paul Menard would finish in second place just ahead of Martin Truex, Jr, who battled an ill handling race car, in third place.

Sam Hornish, Jr, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top five.

While Danica Patrick finished ninth in the Sprint Showdown she was able to garner enough popularity in the Sprint Fan Vote to clinch her spot in Saturday night's race. In what was determined to be the smallest margin of victory in a Sprint Fan Vote, Patrick became the first driver to win the Fan Vote in consecutive seasons.

"I'm just very fortunate I have such great fans," Patrick said. "I wanted to race better tonight, for sure, but I know there's some things we can do to make the car better. Let's hope they work."

Unofficial Race Results for the 30Th Annual Sprint Showdown - Friday, May 15, 2015
Charlotte Motor Speedway - Concord, NC - 1.5 Mile Paved
Total Race Length - 40 Laps - 60 Miles - Purse: $690,071

Leader
Fin    Str    Car    Driver    Team    Laps        Winnings    Status    Tms    Laps
1    4    15    Clint Bowyer    Cherry5HourEnergy/SpecialOprtnWarriorFndtn Toyota    40        $46,565    Running    1    17
1    2    16    Greg Biffle    Ortho Ford    20        $46,565    Seg Winner    1    20
2    1    27    Paul Menard    Serta/Menards Chevrolet    40        $32,245    Running        
3    7    78    Martin Truex Jr.    Furniture Row/Visser Precision Chevrolet    40        $27,970    Running    1    2
4    13    9    Sam Hornish Jr.    Victory Junction/Shop.com Ford    40        $25,870    Running        
5    11    25    Chase Elliott(i)    NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet    40        $24,870    Running        
6    5    3    Austin Dillon    Dow Chevrolet    40        $22,870    Running        
7    15    6    Trevor Bayne    AdvoCare Ford    40        $21,875    Running        
8    14    51    Justin Allgaier    Brandt Chevrolet    40        $21,245    Running        
9    8    10    Danica Patrick    Mobil 1/Aspen Dental Chevrolet    40        $20,745    Running        
10    9    13    Casey Mears    GEICO Military Chevrolet    40        $20,495    Running        
12    10    95    Michael McDowell    Thrivent Financial Ford    40        $19,945    Running        
13    17    38    David Gilliland    Love's Travel Stops Ford    40        $19,695    Running        
14    23    35    Cole Whitt    Speed Stick Ford    40        $19,595    Running        
15    21    83    Matt DiBenedetto #    Burger King Toyota    40        $19,495    Running        
16    22    26    Jeb Burton #    Maxim Fantasy Sports Toyota    40        $19,395    Running        
17    19    98    Josh Wise    Ford    40        $19,290    Running        
18    24    23    JJ Yeley(i)    Support Our Troops/Hope for the Warriors Toyota    40        $19,190    Running        
19    26    30    Jeff Green(i)    Curtis Key Plumbing Chevrolet    40        $19,090    Running        
20    28    33    Alex Kennedy #    HonorandRemember.org Chevrolet    40        $18,990    Running        
21    29    66    Tanner Berryhill #    Chevrolet    39        $18,865    Running        
22    27    62    Brendan Gaughan(i)    Chevrolet    39        $18,735    Running        
23    12    17    Ricky Stenhouse Jr.    Fastenal Ford    39        $18,635    Running        
24    6    42    Kyle Larson    Target Chevrolet    38        $18,535    Running    1    1
25    25    46    Michael Annett    Pilot Flying J Chevrolet    37        $18,435    Running        
26    16    7    Alex Bowman    Chevrolet    22        $18,335    Electrical        
27    20    40    Landon Cassill(i)    Snap Fitness Chevrolet    20        $18,135    Engine        
28    18    32    Mike Bliss(i)    Alpha Kansas Race Covers Ford    6        $18,035    Vibration        
 Race Comments:    Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer won the two segments in the Sprint Showdown.
 Failed to Qualify:    N/A
 Time of Race:    00 Hrs, 35 Mins, 10 Secs.    Average Speed:    102.370 MPH    Margin of Victory:    1.521 Seconds
 Caution Flags:    2 for 0 laps: Laps: 20-20 (Competition [62]); 23-23 (#23 spin turn 4 [66]).
 Lead Changes:    4 among 4 drivers:  0; G. Biffle 1-20; M. Truex Jr. 21-22; K. Larson 23; C. Bowyer 24-40.
(i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Next Race:    May. 16, 2015 - Charlotte Motor Speedway
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications @ P.O. Box 2875, Daytona Beach, FL 32120-2875

MCMURRAY ONE TO WATCH AT CHARLOTTE  - Former Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray was nothing less than dominant in last season's Sprint All-Star Race. This season he will attempt to become only the third driver ever to win back-to-back All-Star Races.

In fact, McMurray has shown prowess at Charlotte Motor Speedway throughout his Sprint Cup career.

McMurray, driver of the #1 Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet for Chip Ganassi Racing, has raced 25 times at Charlotte with ten top-ten finishes, seven top-five finishes and two trips to victory lane. No victory meant more to McMurray's career than his win there in 2002 in just his second Sprint Cup start.

McMurray qualified for Saturday's exhibition race by virtue of his win last season.

KNOW YOUR RACE HISTORY: THE ALL-STAR RACE - NASCAR first sanctioned what is now known as the Sprint Cup All-Star race in 1985. Then it was "The Winston" and Darrell Waltrip won the inaugural race.

While the first running was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the second race took place in Atlanta. It remains the only All-Star Race in NASCAR history run outside of Charlotte.

Jimmie Johnson has recorded the most All-Star race wins emerging victorious in 2003, 2006, 2012 and 2013. Dale Earnhardt, Sr, and Jeff Gordon are tied for second all-time with three victories each.

While it was not a points-paying race, Dale Earnhardt, Jr, notched his first career win against Sprint Cup competition back in 2000's running of the All-Star Race.

As of now there various modes of entry into the All-Star Race; win in the season prior or the season leading up to the race or have a Sprint Cup championship, have a previous All-Star Race victory, win or finish in second in the Sprint Showdown, or get voted in by a popular vote.

The Sprint Showdown is a qualifying race which started as 30 laps but has since been extended to 40 laps in which the winner is given a spot in the All-Star Race. No driver has ever won the Showdown and the All-Star Race in the same season.