Kroger On Track for the Cure 250
 | |
| NASCAR Nationwide Series | |
|---|---|
| Venue | Memphis Motorsports Park |
| Corporate sponsor | Kroger and Dodge |
| First race | 1999 |
| Last race | 2009 |
| Distance | 187.5 miles (301.8 km) |
| Laps | 250 |
| Previous names |
Sam's Town 250 (1999-2001, 2005-2007) Sam's Town 250 Benefitting St. Jude (2002-2003) Sam's Town 250 Benefiting St. Jude Childrens Hospital (2004) 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 Motorsports Park in Memphis, Tennessee. The 2007 race had twenty-five caution periods, ten more than any other Nationwide Series race that has been held at MMP. The race has ended under a green-white-checker finish every year since 2004, when the rule was first implemented in the series.
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
| Year | Date | Driver | Team | Manufacturer | Race Distance | Race Time | Average Speed (mph) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laps | Miles (km) | |||||||
| 1999 | October 31 | Jeff Green | Progressive Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 187.5 (301.752) | 2:26:54 | 76.583 |
| 2000 | October 29 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 250 | 187.5 (301.752) | 2:01:49 | 92.352 |
| 2001 | October 14* | Randy LaJoie | Evans Motorsports | Chevrolet | 250 | 187.5 (301.752) | 2:29:54 | 75.05 |
| 2002 | October 20 | Scott Wimmer | Bill Davis Racing | Pontiac | 250 | 187.5 (301.752) | 2:21:48 | 79.337 |
| 2003 | October 18 | Bobby Hamilton, Jr. | Team Rensi Motorsports | Ford | 250 | 187.5 (301.752) | 2:08:19 | 87.674 |
| 2004 | October 23 | Martin Truex, Jr. | Dale Earnhardt, Inc. | Chevrolet | 255* | 191.25 (307.787) | 2:26:04 | 78.561 |
| 2005 | October 22 | Clint Bowyer | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 254* | 190.5 (306.58) | 2:35:34 | 73.473 |
| 2006 | October 28 | Kevin Harvick | Richard Childress Racing | Chevrolet | 252* | 189 (304.166) | 2:32:33 | 74.336 |
| 2007 | October 27 | David Reutimann | Michael Waltrip Racing | Toyota | 253* | 189.75 (305.373) | 3:02:12 | 62.487 |
| 2008 | October 25 | Carl Edwards | Roush Fenway Racing | Ford | 253* | 189.75 (305.373) | 2:08:14 | 88.783 |
| 2009 | October 24 | Brad Keselowski | JR Motorsports | Chevrolet | 254* | 190.5 (306.58) | 2:33:41 | 74.374 |
- 2001: Race postponed from Saturday to Sunday due to rain.
- 2004-2009: Race extended due to a Green-white-checker finish.