Kroger On Track for the Cure 250 explained

Kroger On Track for the Cure 250 presented by the Southern Dodge Dealers
Series Long:NASCAR Nationwide Series
Venue:Memphis International Raceway
Sponsor:Kroger and Dodge
First Race:1999
Last Race:2009
Distance:187.5miles
Laps:250
Previous Names:Sam's Town 250 (1999–2001, 2006–2007)
Sam's Town 250 Benefitting St. Jude (2002–2003)
Sam's Town 250 Benefiting St. Jude Childrens Hospital (2004-2005)
Kroger On Track For The Cure 250 (2008–2009)

The Kroger On Track for the Cure 250 presented by the Southern Dodge Dealers was a NASCAR Nationwide Series stock car race that took place at Memphis International Raceway in Memphis, Tennessee, from 1999 to 2009. The 2007 race had twenty-five caution periods, ten more than any other Nationwide Series race that has been held at MMP. The race ended under a green-white-checker finish every year from 2004, when the rule was first implemented in the series, to 2009, the final race at the track.

In 2001, the race was scheduled to be shown on tape delay on TNT. The Busch Series race was postponed due to rain to Sunday, the same day as the Winston Cup event in Martinsville. However, the same storm delayed the Martinsville race, so the Busch Series race was aired live on NBC.

On October 24, 2009, Brad Keselowski won the race at MMP by holding off Kyle Busch to the finish line on the 11th and final annual racing event at MMP, as Dover Motorsports, Inc. announced the closure of Memphis Motorsports Park, a week after that race.

Past winners

YearDateDriverTeamManufacturerRace DistanceRace TimeAverage Speed
(mph)
Ref
LapsMiles (km)
1999October 31Jeff GreenProgressive MotorsportsChevrolet250187.5 (301.752)2:26:5476.583[1]
2000October 29Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet250187.5 (301.752)2:01:4992.352[2]
2001October 14*Randy LaJoieEvans MotorsportsChevrolet250187.5 (301.752)2:29:5475.05[3]
2002October 20* Scott WimmerBill Davis RacingPontiac250187.5 (301.752)2:21:4879.337[4]
2003October 18Bobby Hamilton Jr.Team Rensi MotorsportsFord250187.5 (301.752)2:08:1987.674[5]
2004October 23Martin Truex Jr.Chance 2 MotorsportsChevrolet255*191.25 (307.787)2:26:0478.561[6]
2005October 22Clint BowyerRichard Childress RacingChevrolet254*190.5 (306.58)2:35:3473.473[7]
2006October 28Kevin HarvickRichard Childress RacingChevrolet252*189 (304.166)2:32:3374.336[8]
2007October 27David ReutimannMichael Waltrip RacingToyota253*189.75 (305.373)3:02:1262.487[9]
2008October 25Carl EdwardsRoush Fenway RacingFord253*189.75 (305.373)2:08:1488.783[10]
2009October 24Brad KeselowskiJR MotorsportsChevrolet254*190.5 (306.58)2:33:4174.374[11]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 1999 Sam's Town 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  2. Web site: 2000 Sam's Town 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  3. Web site: 2001 Sam's Town 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  4. Web site: 2002 Sam's Town 250 Benefiting St. Jude. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  5. Web site: 2003 Sam's Town 250 Benefiting St. Jude. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  6. Web site: 2004 Sam's Town 250 Benefiting St. Jude. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  7. Web site: 2005 Sam's Town 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  8. Web site: 2006 Sam's Town 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  9. Web site: 2007 Sam's Town 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  10. Web site: 2008 Kroger On Track for the Cure 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.
  11. Web site: 2009 Kroger On Track for the Cure 250. Racing-Reference. November 15, 2021.