The penalties assessed on JR Motorsport’s No. 9 team after Saturday’s NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Darlington Raceway, have been rescinded.
National Motorsports Final Appeals Officer, Roger Werner, heard the appeal Wednesday, overturning the penalties and reaffirming Noah Gragson’s fourth place result. He will receive the $100,000 Dash 4 Cash bonus for scoring the highest finish among the eligible drivers at Darlington.
The penalties were a result of the post-race inspection of the No. 9 Chevrolet where it was determined that the team had violated Rule 20.14.c in the NASCAR Rule Book. The rule states that “all suspension mounts and mounting hardware must not allow movement or realignment of any suspension and/or drivetrain component beyond normal rotation or suspension and/or drivetrain travel.”
Gragson has won all three of the previous Dash 4 Cash prizes at Martinsville Speedway, Talladega Superspeedway and Darlington Raceway and will now be eligible for the final Dash 4 Cash Xfinity Series race this weekend at Dover International Speedway.
Justin Allgaier, Josh Berry and Brandon Jones will join Gragson at Dover to compete for the Dash 4 Cash prize Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET in the NASCAR Xfinity Series Drydene 200.
JR Motorsports confirmed Monday that they will appeal the penalty assessed against Noah Gragson and the No. 9 team after Saturday’s Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200 race at Darlington Raceway.
During the post-race inspection of the No. 9 Chevrolet, it was determined that the team had violated Rule 20.14.c in the NASCAR Rule Book.
The rule states that “all suspension mounts and mounting hardware must not allow movement or realignment of any suspension and/or drivetrain component beyond normal rotation or suspension and/or drivetrain travel.”
Gragson was originally scored in fourth at the end of the race but after the penalty, he was relegated to a 40th place finish and stripped of the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus for being the highest-finishing eligible driver.
If the penalty is upheld, Gragson, who has already won two of the four events in the program, will not be able to compete for the prize at Dover International Speedway this weekend.
Martin Truex Jr. captured his third NASCAR Cup Series (NCS) win of the season on Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway. Truex Jr. dominated the race by leading 248 of the 293 laps and swept both stages. This was his 30th NCS career win in 561 series starts. He is the only multi-race winner this year.
It was also the first time that a stage winner has ever claimed the checkered flag at Darlington.
“I’m extremely proud of everyone on this Auto-Owners Camry. I think this flat black is a throwback to you, Regan (Smith), when you won here. It’s really cool to throw back to Furniture Row. Hopefully, Barney Visser (owner, Furniture Row Racing) is out here watching. I know, Regan, you and I both owe him a lot, but this one is for Furniture Row. It’s pretty cool.” Truex said.
Kyle Larson closed on Truex Jr. in the closing laps but had to settle for second place, earning his seventh top-10 finish this season.
“I was surprised that I was able to get to him. I caught him really; like, I closed on pit road and then I caught him pretty quickly once we were on track. I closed right in, and actually had an opportunity to get by him in the middle of (Turns) 1 and 2, but I thought I’d stay patient and maybe get him to use his stuff up. He was just a little bit better than I was in the long runs.” Larson said.
Kansas winner Kyle Busch finished third and was pleased with the overall progress his team has made.
“Yes, solid day overall. Definitely better than some of our other 750 package races, but just missing a little bit on the long run. It seemed like we could fire off with (Martin) Truex there and hang with him a little bit. Actually, we would catch him for about five laps and then it was over. Just trying to hold on after that point. Overall, real good day.”
William Byron was fourth and Denny Hamlin finished fifth. Chase Briscoe was the highest-finishing rookie with an 11th place result.
Hamlin leads the series with 529 points. Truex (-75), Byron (-101), Joey Logano (-123) and Ryan Blaney (-124) round out the top five in the driver standings.
There were no major issues in the post-race inspection. The No. 18 (Busch), 24 (Byron), 4 (Harvick), 12 (Blaney) and 8 (Reddick) will be taken to the R&D Center for further inspection. The No. 22 (Logano) had two lug nuts not safe and secure and the No. 17 (Buescher) had one lug nut not safe and secure.
NEXT RACE: Sunday, May 16th at Dover International Speedway on FS1 at 2 p.m. ET
NASCAR Cup Series Race No. 12 Race Results for the 2nd Annual Goodyear 400
Sunday, May 9, 2021 Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved Total Race Length – 293 Laps – 400.238 Miles
Fin
Str
No
Driver
Team
Laps
S1Pos
S2Pos
S3Pos
Pts
Status
1
4
19
Martin Truex Jr.
Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota
293
1
1
0
60
Running
2
14
5
Kyle Larson
HendrickCars.com Throwback Chevrolet
293
4
5
0
48
Running
3
3
18
Kyle Busch
M&M’s Toyota
293
0
2
0
43
Running
4
5
24
William Byron
Valvoline Throwback Chevrolet
293
9
3
0
43
Running
5
7
11
Denny Hamlin
Sport Clips Toyota
293
2
4
0
48
Running
6
2
4
Kevin Harvick
Mobil 1 Throwback Ford
293
5
0
0
37
Running
7
6
9
Chase Elliott
Hooters Throwback Chevrolet
293
8
0
0
33
Running
8
16
12
Ryan Blaney
Advance Auto Parts Ford
293
7
9
0
35
Running
9
11
17
Chris Buescher
Fifth Third Bank Ford
293
0
10
0
29
Running
10
20
6
Ryan Newman
Kohler Generators Ford
292
0
0
0
27
Running
11
22
14
Chase Briscoe #
HighPoint.com Throwback Ford
292
0
0
0
26
Running
12
10
8
Tyler Reddick
Quartz Hill Records Chevrolet
292
3
8
0
36
Running
13
12
22
Joey Logano
Shell Pennzoil Ford
292
6
7
0
33
Running
14
21
20
Christopher Bell
Rheem Toyota
292
0
6
0
28
Running
15
18
42
Ross Chastain
McDonald’s Chevrolet
291
0
0
0
22
Running
16
9
3
Austin Dillon
Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet
291
0
0
0
21
Running
17
19
48
Alex Bowman
Ally Throwback Chevrolet
291
10
0
0
21
Running
18
26
43
Erik Jones
STP Chevrolet
291
0
0
0
19
Running
19
8
21
Matt DiBenedetto
Menards/Dutch Boy Ford
290
0
0
0
18
Running
20
28
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Kroger/Tide Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
17
Running
21
23
23
Bubba Wallace
Root Insurance Toyota
290
0
0
0
16
Running
22
30
7
Corey LaJoie
In Memory of Alan Kulwicki Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
15
Running
23
15
99
Daniel Suarez
Camping World Throwback Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
14
Running
24
1
2
Brad Keselowski
Freightliner Ford
290
0
0
0
13
Running
25
29
37
* Ryan Preece
Velveeta Chevrolet
290
0
0
0
12
Running
26
25
38
Anthony Alfredo #
We Care Ford
289
0
0
0
11
Running
27
13
34
Michael McDowell
Fr8 Auctions Ford
288
0
0
0
10
Running
28
31
77
Justin Haley(I)
FOE Mother’s Day Chevrolet
288
0
0
0
0
Running
29
34
53
JJ Yeley(i)
FatBoy Ice Cream Chevrolet
286
0
0
0
0
Running
30
35
0
Quin Houff
Bos Klein/RCA Chevrolet
286
0
0
0
7
Running
31
36
15
James Davison
HOPEGIVERS Throwback Chevrolet
286
0
0
0
6
Running
32
32
78
BJ McLeod(i)
CorvetteParts.net/Keen Parts Ford
285
0
0
0
0
Running
33
37
52
Josh Bilicki
Insurance King Throwback Ford
245
0
0
0
4
Running
34
33
51
Cody Ware(i)
NURTEC ODT Throwback Chevrolet
188
0
0
0
0
Driveshaft
35
17
1
Kurt Busch
Monster Energy Chevrolet
106
0
0
0
2
Accident
36
24
41
Cole Custer
HaasTooling.com Mother’s Day Ford
97
0
0
0
1
Accident
37
27
10
Aric Almirola
Smithfield/Winn-Dixie Ford
5
0
0
0
1
Accident
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 14 Mins, 21 Secs. Average Speed: 123.562 MPH Margin of Victory: 2.571 Seconds
Lead Changes: 19 among 10 drivers; B. Keselowski 1-4; K. Harvick 5-13; K. Busch 14-21; M. Truex Jr. 22-24; T. Reddick 25; C. Ware(i) 26; M. Truex Jr. 27-60; T. Reddick 61; R. Chastain 62-71; M. Truex Jr. 72-92; D. Hamlin 93; M. Truex Jr. 94-110; D. Hamlin 111-114; M. Truex Jr. 115-144; C. Buescher 145; K. Harvick 146; C. Bell 147-149; M. Truex Jr. 150-187; K. Busch 188; M. Truex Jr. 189-293.
Sunoco Rookie of the Race: Chase Briscoe, #14 (i) Ineligible for driver points in this series
Justin Allgaier won the NASCAR Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200 at Darlington Raceway Saturday afternoon in a dramatic two-lap overtime finish.
He outdueled his JR Motorsports teammate, Josh Berry, who had pulled ahead in Turn l, to take the lead for his second victory of the season and earn his 16th career win.
“Our car wasn’t as good as we wanted all day, but the guys down in the pits, they just kept fighting,” said Allgaier. “To check off Atlanta and Darlington, I couldn’t be more appreciative of this race team. We’re going to celebrate this one for a while.”
Josh Berry had to settle for second place, earning his fourth top-10 of 2021. He was also the highest finishing rookie of the race. Berry is currently scheduled to compete on a part time basis for JRM. He won at Martinsville Speedway in April and is trying to make the most of each opportunity.
“I’m mad,” Berry said. “I want to win. I’m racing for my life out here, man. We need to find a sponsor or something so I can run this thing full time. But it’s hard to be mad, coming here, running second, no practice, first time with these guys — that’s pretty incredible.”
Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Brandon Jones (No. 19) and Daniel Hemric (No. 18) finished in third and fourth, respectively. Jeremy Clements scored his fourth top-10 result of 2021 with fifth place.
Michael Annett, Brett Moffitt, Ryan Sieg, Alex Labbe and Harrison Burton rounded out the top-10 at Darlington.
Noah Gragson was originally scored in fourth at the end of the race but was disqualified due to a violation of Rule 20.14.c in the NASCAR Rule Book that reads, “All suspension mounts and mounting hardware must not allow movement or realignment of any suspension and/or drivetrain component beyond normal rotation or suspension and/or drivetrain travel.”
Gragson was relegated to a 40th place finish and was no longer eligible to receive the Dash 4 Cash bonus. He has already won two of the four events in the program. The $100,000 prize was ultimately awarded to AJ Allmendinger, who finished 12th and passed post-race inspection.
Wayne Auton, Xfinity Series director, stated that the Dash 4 Cash winners are routinely included in the post-race inspection for each of these races.
JR Motorsports will have the option to appeal the disqualification.
The last Dash 4 Cash race will be held at Dover International Speedway next Saturday, May 15, at 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Allmendinger, Allgaier, Berry and Brandon Jones will be eligible for the $100,000 prize.
UPDATED: #9 – Disqualified – Failed Post-race Inspection NASCAR Xfinity Series Race Number 9 Race Results for the 2nd Annual Steakhouse Elite 200 – Saturday, May 8, 2021 Darlington Raceway – Darlington, SC – 1.366 – Mile Paved Total Race Length – 148 Laps – 202.168 Miles
Fin
Str
No
Driver
Team
Laps
S1Pos
S2Pos
S3Pos
Pts
Status
1
16
7
Justin Allgaier
Good Humor Ice Cream Chevrolet
148
7
7
0
48
Running
2
24
8
Josh Berry #
Tire Pros Chevrolet
148
0
3
0
43
Running
3
22
19
Brandon Jones
06 NCWTS Championship Toyota
148
10
0
0
35
Running
4
7
18
Daniel Hemric
Poppy Bank Toyota
148
3
0
0
41
Running
5
12
51
Jeremy Clements
All South Electric Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
32
Running
6
20
1
Michael Annett
Gatorade Pilot Flying J Chevrolet
148
9
6
0
38
Running
7
13
2
Brett Moffitt
DESTINY HOMES Chevrolet
148
0
9
0
32
Running
8
11
39
Ryan Sieg
CMR Construction and Roofing Ford
148
0
4
0
36
Running
9
23
36
Alex Labbe
Larue Industrial Snowblowers Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
28
Running
10
8
20
Harrison Burton
DEX Imaging Toyota
148
2
1
0
46
Running
11
19
4
Landon Cassill
MaintenX Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
26
Running
12
1
16
AJ Allmendinger
Hyperice Chevrolet
148
5
2
0
40
Running
13
4
11
Justin Haley
LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
24
Running
14
14
44
Tommy Joe Martins
Capital City Hauling Chevrolet
148
4
0
0
30
Running
15
33
99
Ryan Ellis
CorvetteParts.net Toyota
148
0
0
0
22
Running
16
17
61
David Starr
Whataburger Toyota
148
0
0
0
21
Running
17
29
54
Ty Gibbs #
Interstate Batteries Toyota
148
8
0
0
23
Running
18
10
2
Myatt Snider
TaxSlayer Chevrolet
148
6
0
0
24
Running
19
3
10
Jeb Burton
Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet
148
0
5
0
24
Running
20
36
23
Tanner Berryhill
REALTY CONNECT Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
17
Running
21
35
17
JJ Yeley
WORKPRO Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
16
Running
22
15
66
Timmy Hill(i)
Lift Kits 4 Less Ford
148
0
0
0
0
Running
23
9
68
Brandon Brown
Brandonbilt Motorsports Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
14
Running
24
39
74
Bayley Currey(i)
Providing Hope VA Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
0
Running
25
38
90
BJ McLeod(i)
BuckedUp Apparel Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
0
Running
26
34
6
Ryan Vargas #
Monarch Roofing Throwback Chevrolet
148
0
0
0
11
Running
27
6
98
Riley Herbst
Henry Repeating Arms Ford
148
0
10
0
11
Running
28
25
15
Colby Howard
Project Hope Foundation Chevrolet
147
0
0
0
9
Accident
29
2
22
Austin Cindric
Car Shop Ford
147
1
8
0
21
Accident
30
28
0
Jeffrey Earnhardt
ForeverLawn Throwback Chevrolet
146
0
0
0
7
Running
31
31
78
Jesse Little
Tufco Flooring Chevrolet
146
0
0
0
6
Running
32
26
47
Kyle Weatherman
Pit Viper Sunglasses Chevrolet
142
0
0
0
5
Running
33
40
13
Matt Jaskol
Lift Kits 4 Less Toyota
142
0
0
0
4
Running
34
18
48
Jade Buford
Big Machine/All American Racers/Hot Wheels Chevrolet
Sheldon Creed maneuvered through several late-race cautions to claim his first Camping World Truck Series victory of the year at Darlington Raceway Friday night. His No. 2 GMS Racing Chevrolet featured a Throwback paint scheme honoring the late Jason Leffler.
It was his sixth career Truck Series win and his fourth top-10 finish this season. Creed also won the Triple Truck Challenge presented by Womply, earning a $50,000 bonus.
The pivotal moment of the race came on Lap 119 when John Hunter Nemechek and Corey Heim got turned into each other after contact from behind, collecting at least 17 cars in the chain reaction that followed. A red flag was thrown to clear the track and apply speedy dry to absorb the fluids.
On the final restart, it came down to a battle between Rhodes and Creed.
“It feels great,” Creed said after the win. “Didn’t have the best truck there, for sure. Firing off, I was really tight. Then I was wrecking loose there, just doing everything I could. I was really aggressive on restarts; that’s what it takes. We’ve been struggling, but we keep chipping away at it. We’re getting better trucks the last couple weeks. All I ask for are trucks I can race with.”
His victory ended Toyota’s dominance of seven wins this year and disrupted Kyle Busch Motorsports’ five-race winning streak.
Ben Rhodes led 34 laps during the race in his No. 99 ThorSport Racing Toyota but after two flat tires and a penalty, was able to work his way back to the front and rallied to a second-place finish.
“I saw going into the corner we were going to push low,” Rhodes said, “so I tried to work our way back up to give us some line so we could be side by side coming off of (Turn) 2, but got really loose. Luckily, we saved it, but it was an up-and-down night. I had a lot of fun.
“We set ourselves up for the end there with our Bombardier Tundra to go for a long run — with like low pressures, and then lo and behold, red flags and caution after caution after caution. So what do you do, right? He had seven-lap newer tires, some help on the restarts, and I guess conditions were perfect for him, but I’m not going to pout about it. I’m driving a race car. I’m happy.”
Carson Hocevar was the highest finishing rookie after a third-place result in his first race at Darlington Raceway. Matt Crafton and Grant Enfinger rounded out the top five.
Johnny Sauter, Timmy Hill, Nemechek, Austin Wayne Self and Jordan Anderson finished sixth-10th, respectively.
Todd Gilliland won Stage 1 but finished 15th after being caught up in the incident on Lap 119. Nemechek, who led a race-high 65 laps and won Stage 2, recovered to finish eighth.
There were 12 cautions for 66 laps during the race. The final incident, however, occurred after Creed had taken the white flag, so no flag was thrown and Creed was announced as the winner.
There were no issues in post-race inspection.
Nemechek leads the standings with 368 points followed by Rhodes (-46), Creed (-82), Austin Hill (-93) and Matt Crafton (-121).
The Camping World Truck Series will be off next weekend and will return on May 22 to compete at Circuit of the Americas at 1 p.m. on FS1.
Official Results – Camping World Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200:
1. Sheldon Creed 2. Ben Rhodes 3. Carson Hocevar 4. Matt Crafton 5. Johnny Sauter 6. Grant Enfinger 7. Timmy Hill 8. John Hunter Nemechek 9. Austin Wayne Self 10. Jordan Anderson 11. Ryan Truex 12. Ryan Reed 13. Austin Hill 14. Tyler Ankrum 15. Todd Gilliland 16. Zane Smith 17. Erik Darnell 18. Danny Bohn 19. Timothy Peters 20. Hailie Deegan 21. Bayley Currey 22. Spencer Boyd 23. Corey Heim 24. Jennifer Jo Cobb 25. Stewart Friesen 26. Parker Kligerman 27. Chandler Smith 28. David Gilliland 29. Spencer Davis 30. Tate Fogleman 31. Dawson Cram 32. BJ McLeod 33. Tanner Gray 34. Akinori Ogata 35. Derek Kraus 36. Chase Purdy 37. Norm Benning 38. Codie Rohrbaugh 39. Kris Wright 40. Cory Ropera
NASCAR heads to Darlington Raceway for the seventh annual Throwback Weekend. The Camping World Truck Series will compete Friday night followed by the Xfinity Series Saturday afternoon.
The Cup Series Goodyear 400 will take center stage on Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Many of the drivers will be paying tribute to the past this weekend with special paint schemes on their cars. For a full detailed list of the paint schemes and cars participating select this link and visit NASCAR.com’s 2021 Throwback Weekend Photo Gallery.
Along with the Throwback paint schemes, fans can enjoy a variety of events that will add to the nostalgic atmosphere. In honor of Mother’s Day, Darlington Raceway will also hand out flowers to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the track.
There will be no practice or qualifying sessions due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.
The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula: • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
All times are Eastern.
Friday, May 7
7:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Trucks) 7:30 p.m.: Truck Series LiftKits4Less.com 200 Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles Pole: John Hunter Nemechek FS1 /MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Saturday, May 8
12:40 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars) 1 p.m.: Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200 Stages 45/90/147 Laps = 200.1 Miles Pole: AJ Allmendinger FS1 /MRN/TSN3/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Sunday, May 9
3:10 p.m.: Driver Intros (Drivers Standing By Cars) 3:30 p.m.: Cup Series Goodyear 400 Stages 90/185/293 Laps = 400.2 Miles Pole: Brad Keselowski FS1 /MRN/TSN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio
Darlington Raceway Data Season Race #: 12 of 36 (05-09-21) Track Size: 1.366-miles Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 25 degrees Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 23 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 6 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 6 degrees Frontstretch Length: 1,229 feet Backstretch Length: 1,229 feet Race Length: 293 laps / 400 miles Stage 1 Length: 90 laps Stage 2 Length: 95 laps Final Stage Length: 108 laps
Darlington Raceway Qualifying Information: Track qualifying record: Aric Almirola, Ford,184.145 mph (26.705 secs.) on April 11, 2014. 2020 pole winner: Brad Keselowski – Qualifying by random draw on May 17, 2020.
Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch lead all active drivers in starts at Darlington with 26 each.
Denny Hamlin leads all active drivers in the series in average starting position at 8.8 in 17 starts.
51 different NCS drivers have won at least one pole at Darlington and six are active this weekend. Kevin Harvick (2), Kurt Busch (2), Brad Keselowski (1), Denny Hamlin (1), Ryan Newman (1), and William Byron (1).
The youngest Darlington pole winner is William Byron on Sept. 1, 2019 (21 years, 9 months, 3 days).
A total of 12 different manufacturers have won at least one pole in the NCS. Ford leads with 43 poles, followed by Chevrolet (22), Mercury (13), Pontiac (10), Dodge (8), Buick (3), Oldsmobile (3), Plymouth (3), Toyota (2), Chrysler (1), Hudson (1) and Studebaker (1).
Darlington Raceway Race Information: Track race record (500 miles): Matt Kenseth, Toyota, 141.383 mph (03:32:45) on May 11, 2013. 2020 race winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford, 115.815 mph (03:27:21) on May 17, 2020.
51 different NCS drivers have won at Darlington and six are active this weekend. Kevin Harvick (3), Denny Hamlin (3), Erik Jones (1), Brad Keselowski (1), Martin Truex Jr. (1), and Kyle Busch (1).
Kevin Harvick is the only active driver to win from the pole (2014) at Darlington.
The pole is the most proficient starting position in the field, producing more winners (20) than any other starting position at Darlington.
Hendrick Motorsports has the most wins by an organization at Darlington in the NASCAR Cup Series with 14.
11 different manufacturers have won in the NCS at Darlington. Chevrolet leads with 41 victories, followed by Ford (31), Mercury (10), Toyota (eight), Oldsmobile (six), Dodge (five), Pontiac (five), Buick (four), Plymouth (four), Hudson (three) and American Motor Company (two).
Kevin Harvick leads all active NCS drivers with 782 laps led in 26 starts.
Top 12 Driver Ratings at Darlington Kyle Larson – 111.3 Denny Hamlin – 106.8 Erik Jones – 105.7 Kevin Harvick – 104.8 Kyle Busch – 102.8 Martin Truex Jr. – 101.2 Brad Keselowski – 98.4 Chase Elliott – 90.2 Joey Logano – 90.1 Kurt Busch – 88.9 Ryan Newman – 87.6 William Byron – 82.2
Note: Driver Ratings compiled from 2005-2020 races (18 total) among active drivers at Darlington Raceway.
As soon as I drive through Darlington Raceway’s Turn 3 tunnel, I feel like I’ve stepped back in time and entered another era. The walls feature a collage of the track’s historic moments through the decades and the legends that have conquered the unforgiving surface of the track “Too Tough to Tame.”
As the 1.66-mile track prepares to host the Throwback Weekend with all three national series competing, track President Kerry Tharp promises a weekend reminiscent of days gone by with special guests, activities and surprises.
I asked him what will put the biggest smile on his face when he steps outside and looks around on race day.
“I want the fans to enjoy it,” he said. “They can take a walk down memory lane and relive some great moments in the sport.”
The decision was made to move the Throwback Weekend to the May event because, Tharp said, “We wanted it to stand on its own.”
Along with the Throwback paint schemes, fans can enjoy a variety of events that will add to the nostalgic atmosphere.
The Darlington Raceway Stock Car Museum and National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame will re-open after being closed since last spring due to the pandemic. It’s a must see for NASCAR history buffs and will be open on Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
The track will also have several merchandise trailers on site, there will be cardboard cutouts of past and current drivers that fans can take pictures with, and if you look up, Tharp said, “We’ll have the Goodyear Blimp; I can’t even remember the last time I saw it overhead.”
“You’ll see heroes and Hall of Famers this weekend,” Tharp added.
Greg Biffle, a three-time Darlington race winner, will drive parade laps before the start of the Camping World Truck Series race Friday night. Saturday afternoon before the Xfinity Series Steakhouse Elite 200, Dale Earnhardt Jr. will take his father’s restored No. 8 Chevrolet Nova for a few laps around the track.
On Mother’s Day NASCAR and Darlington Raceway will hand out carnations to the first 1,000 mothers who enter the track for the Cup Series Goodyear 400. Mothers who are accompanied by their children will have an opportunity to take a photo together to commemorate the special day.
Look for more announcements from Darlington Raceway throughout the week on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And, don’t forget to visit the Darlington Raceway Virtual Fan Zone to vote for your favorite paint scheme.
Perhaps it was fate for a driver named Busch to win the Cup Series Buschy McBusch Race 400 at Kansas Speedway on his birthday. Or maybe it was simply a talented driver having the dominant car toward the end of the race when it matters the most.
Kyle Busch’s win at Kansas capped off a weekend sweep after claiming the Camping World Truck Series victory Saturday night. It was his 58th Cup Series win in 581 starts and his sixth top-10 finish this season.
“Just a great day to be able to put this M&Ms Camry up front,” Busch said after the race. Great to be able to get everyone back in Victory Lane again this early in the season and get those points going our way.”
Even Busch couldn’t help but see the humor of the situation, adding, “I just remembered it’s the Buschy McBusch Race and a Busch won. What do you know?”
But what he was really excited about was getting the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota back to victory lane.
“You talk about ups and downs of racing – there’s been a lot of downs of life for us. I have a great opportunity and a great job, no doubt.” Busch said. “Just a great day to be able to put this M&M’s Mix Camry up front. Want to thank Hy-Vee, our retail partner. They did a huge promotion for us this year with M&M’s and Rowdy Energy. It’s cool to get everybody back to victory lane again this early in the season.”
Busch was the stage one winner and Kyle Larson won stage two, leading a race-high 132 laps. Larson, however, got into the wall on the final restart while trying to push Ryan Blaney to the lead, and finished 19th. Blaney had to settle for a 21st place finish.
“Hate that I screwed that up and cost us a good finish,” Larson said.
Harvick finished second and has yet to win this season but was pleased with how competitive his car was during the race and how the team effectively used pit strategy to put themselves in the best possible position.
“We had the right pit strategy once the cautions came out there. We had the pit road penalty and came in for tires and Rodney made a great call of coming back in to put tires on and that kind of put us on the offense. We were able to be really aggressive on the two restarts we had at the end and were able to make up some ground. Everybody on our Busch Light Ford Mustang did a great job today of just hanging in there. We made a few mistakes, but we made our car better throughout the whole day and were more competitive than we had been in the last couple mile-and-a-half races.”
Brad Keselowski finished third for his fifth top-five this year.
“We weren’t quite as fast as we wanted to be. The Gibbs cars were real fast and Kyle Larson was screaming fast, so a very similar race for us to Vegas, kind of right there on that edge of the top five. We just need a little bit more, but we almost stole one there with pitting and the yellow came out there with 10 to go and it was just kind of the restart chaos and we all run into each other, whether it’s me running into someone or somebody else running into somebody it’s just part of it, but, all in all, not a bad day for the Verizon 5G Ford Mustang.”
Matt DiBenedetto and Chase Elliott rounded out the top-five. Chase Briscoe placed 20th and was the highest-finishing rookie.
The Cup Series heads to Darlington Raceway on May 9 for the Goodyear 400 at 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1.
NASCAR Cup Series Race Number 11
Race Results for the 2nd Annual Buschy McBusch Race 400 Sunday, May 2, 2021 Kansas Speedway – Kansas City, KS – 1.5 – Mile Paved Total Race Length – 267 Laps – 400.5 Miles
Fin
Str
No
Driver
Team
Laps
S1Pos
S2Pos
S3Pos
Pts
Status
1
9
18
Kyle Busch
M&M’s Mix Toyota
267
1
2
0
59
Running
2
4
4
Kevin Harvick
Busch Light For The Farmers Ford
267
7
10
0
40
Running
3
1
2
Brad Keselowski
Verizon 5G Ford
267
4
4
0
48
Running
4
5
21
Matt DiBenedetto
Dickies/Menards Ford
267
0
0
0
33
Running
5
17
9
Chase Elliott
UniFirst Chevrolet
267
6
5
0
43
Running
6
15
19
Martin Truex Jr.
Auto-Owners Insurance Toyota
267
0
7
0
35
Running
7
11
8
Tyler Reddick
Childress Vineyards Chevrolet
267
3
8
0
41
Running
8
16
17
Chris Buescher
autoTempest Ford
267
0
0
0
29
Running
9
2
24
William Byron
Axalta Chevrolet
267
5
0
0
34
Running
10
6
3
Austin Dillon
Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Off Road Chevrolet
267
0
0
0
27
Running
11
21
99
Daniel Suarez
Camping World Chevrolet
267
0
0
0
26
Running
12
20
11
Denny Hamlin
FedEx Freight Toyota
267
9
3
0
35
Running
13
3
34
Michael McDowell
CarParts.com Ford
267
0
0
0
24
Running
14
24
42
Ross Chastain
Clover Chevrolet
267
0
0
0
23
Running
15
28
1
Kurt Busch
Monster Energy Chevrolet
267
0
0
0
22
Running
16
14
6
Ryan Newman
Hy-Vee Ford
267
0
0
0
21
Running
17
29
22
Joey Logano
AAA Insurance Ford
267
0
0
0
20
Running
18
25
48
Alex Bowman
Ally Chevrolet
267
0
0
0
19
Running
19
32
5
Kyle Larson
HendrickCars.com Chevrolet
267
2
1
0
37
Running
20
19
14
Chase Briscoe #
HighPoint.com Ford
267
0
0
0
17
Running
21
7
12
Ryan Blaney
Menards/Moen Ford
267
8
6
0
24
Running
22
38
33
* Austin Cindric(i)
MoneyLion Ford
267
0
0
0
0
Running
23
22
38
Anthony Alfredo #
Dude Wipes Ford
266
0
0
0
14
Running
24
10
41
Cole Custer
HaasTooling.com Ford
266
0
0
0
13
Running
25
27
43
Erik Jones
Black Entrepreneur Initiative Chevrolet
266
0
0
0
12
Running
26
13
23
Bubba Wallace
Dr. Pepper Zero Sugar Toyota
266
0
0
0
11
Running
27
26
7
Corey LaJoie
Nations Guard Chevrolet
265
0
0
0
10
Running
28
8
20
Christopher Bell
Rheem Toyota
265
10
9
0
12
Running
29
18
10
Aric Almirola
Smithfield/Price Chopper Ford
264
0
0
0
8
Running
30
31
77
Justin Haley(i)
NASCAR TRUCKS AT KNOXVILLE Chevrolet
263
0
0
0
0
Running
31
30
78
BJ McLeod(i)
Celsius Ford
260
0
0
0
0
Running
32
12
37
* Ryan Preece
Nature Valley Chevrolet
259
0
0
0
5
Accident
33
36
53
Garrett Smithley(i)
Smart Sanitizer Chevrolet
259
0
0
0
0
Running
34
23
47
Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
Kroger/Energizer Chevrolet
258
0
0
0
3
Accident
35
35
15
Joey Gase(i)
Explore Branson Chevrolet
258
0
0
0
0
Running
36
33
51
Cody Ware(i)
Nurtec ODT Chevrolet
257
0
0
0
0
Running
37
34
0
Quin Houff
8 Ball Chocolate Whiskey Chevrolet
256
0
0
0
1
Running
38
39
55
* Matt Mills(i)
Siebert Electric/J.F. Electric Ford
255
0
0
0
0
Running
39
37
52
Josh Bilicki
RBR Aviation Ford
250
0
0
0
1
Running
Time of Race: 3 Hrs, 5 Mins, 21 Secs. Average Speed: 129.647 MPH Margin of Victory: .336 Seconds Stage 1 Top 10: 18, 5, 8, 2, 24, 9, 4, 12, 11, 20 Stage 2 Top 10: 5, 18, 11, 2, 9, 12, 19, 8, 20, 4
Lead Changes: 18 among 6 drivers; B. Keselowski 1-63; K. Larson 64; B. Keselowski 65-73; K. Larson 74-76; K. Busch 77-83; K. Larson 84-121; R. Stenhouse Jr. 122-144; K. Larson 145-162; K. Busch 163; K. Larson 164-167; K. Busch 168; K. Larson 169-212; C. Buescher 213-225; K. Larson 226-230; D. Hamlin 231; K. Larson 232-236; D. Hamlin 237-242; K. Larson 243-256; K. Busch 257-267.
This weekend NASCAR travels to Kansas Speedway. The Xfinity Series is off but will return next week at Darlington Raceway.
The ARCA Menards Series kicks off the activities Saturday afternoon followed by the Camping World Truck Series race at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday afternoon the Cup Series hits the track for the Buschy McBusch Race 400.
Kevin Harvick (2013, 2016, 2018), Joey Logano (2014, 2015, 2020) and Denny Hamlin (2012, 2019, 2020) lead all active drivers with three wins each at Kansas.
This season continues an impressive run in the Cup Series with nine different winners in the first 10 races. Hamlin, the current leader in the driver standings and the defending race winner, is still looking for his first victory of the year.
Matt Crafton has scored three Truck Series victories at Kansas and Kyle Busch has two track wins. Johnny Sauter, Austin Hill, Brett Moffitt and Ross Chastain have one win each.
There will be no practice or qualifying sessions for the Cup and Truck Series due to COVID-19 protocols established by NASCAR.
The starting lineups will be determined by the following metrics formula: • 25 percent: Driver’s finishing position from the previous race • 25 percent: Car owner’s finishing position from the previous race • 35 percent: Team owner points ranking • 15 percent: Fastest lap from the previous race
All times are Eastern.
Saturday, May 1
1:30 p.m.: ARCA Dutch Boy 150 Distance: 150 Miles (100 Laps with a break at Lap 50) FS1/MRN
7:30 p.m.: Truck Series WISE Power 200 Distance: 201 miles (134 Laps) Stage 1 ends on Lap 30), Stage 2 ends on Lap 60, Final Stage ends on Lap 134 FS1/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Pole: John Hunter Nemechek
Sunday, May 2
3 p.m.: Cup Series Buschy McBusch Race 400 Distance: 400.5 miles (267 laps) Competition caution on Lap 25 Stage 1 ends on Lap 80, Stage 2 ends on Lap 160, Final Stage ends on Lap 267 FS1/TSN/MRN/SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Pole: Brad Keselowski
Kansas Speedway Data Season Race #: 11 of 36 (05-02-21) Track Size: 1.5-miles Banking/Turn 1 & 2: 17 to 20 degrees Banking/Turn 3 & 4: 17 to 20 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 10 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 5 degrees Frontstretch Length: 2,685 feet Backstretch Length: 2,207 feet Race Length: 267 laps / 400 miles Stage 1 & 2 Length: 80 laps (each) Final Stage Length: 107 laps
Kansas Speedway Qualifying Information: Track qualifying record: Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 197.773 mph (27.304 secs.) on October 3, 2014. 2020 pole winner: Qualifying was canceled, due to the pandemic, random draw, Kevin Harvick started from the pole. 2019 pole winner: Kevin Harvick, Ford, 179.217 mph, (30.131 secs.) on May 11, 2019
Harvick, Kurt Busch, and Ryan Newman have started all 30 NASCAR Cup Series races and lead the series in starts at Kansas.
Brad Keselowski leads all active drivers in the NCS in the average starting position with a 10.227 in 22 starts. Six of the 16 NCS pole winners are active this weekend. Harvick (5), Joey Logano (2), Martin Truex Jr. (2), Keselowski (1), Kurt Busch (1), and Ryan Blaney (1).
Harvick leads the NCS in poles with five (fall 2013, 2014 sweep, spring 2018, spring 2019).
Harvick (three-straight: fall of 2013-2014 sweep) and Jimmie Johnson (2007-2008) are the only two drivers to win consecutive poles at Kansas.
Four manufacturers have won poles at Kansas, led by Chevrolet with 11, Ford (nine), Toyota, and Dodge (four each).
Kansas Speedway Race Information: Track race record: Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 144.122 mph, (02:46:44), on April 22, 2012. 2020 race winner: Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 121.835 mph, (03:17:14), on July 23, 2020. 2019 race winner: Brad Keselowski, Ford, 131.023 mph, (03:06:09), on May 11, 2019.
A total of 15 different NCS drivers have won at Kansas and Eight winners are active this weekend at Kansas. Denny Hamlin (2020, 2019, 2012), Joey Logano (2020, 2015, 2014), Harvick (2018, 2016, 2013), Keselowski (2019, 2011), Martin Truex Jr, (2017 sweep), Chase Elliott (2018), Kyle Busch (2016), and Ryan Newman (2003).
The youngest series Kansas winner was Chase Elliott (October 21, 2018 – 22 years, 10 months, 23 days).
The first starting position is the most proficient starting spot in the field producing more winners (six of the 30races or 20%) than any other starting position on the grid.
A total of eight different organizations have won in the NCS at Kansas with Hendrick Motorsports leads the series with seven victories. Jeff Gordon (2001, 2002, and 2014), Jimmie Johnson (2008, 2011 and 2015), and Chase Elliott (Playoffs 2018).
Four manufacturers have won at Kansas Speedway in the NCS, led by Chevrolet with 12, Ford with nine, Toyota with seven, and Dodge with two.
Harvick leads all active drivers in the NCS with an average finishing position with a 9.3 in 30 starts and also leads the series in laps led with 949 in 30 starts at Kansas.
Top 12 Kansas Driver Ratings Kevin Harvick – 109.7 Martin Truex Jr. – 100.6 Chase Elliott – 97.5 Ryan Blaney – 96.8 Kyle Larson – 94.2 Brad Keselowski – 93.8 Kyle Busch – 92.7 Denny Hamlin – 90.9 Joey Logano – 88.7 Kurt Busch – 88.0 Erik Jones – 88.0 Cole Custer – 79.6
Note: Driver Ratings are compiled from 2005-2020 races (26 total) among active drivers at Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR and Texas Motor Speedway announced the All-Star Race format Wednesday evening. This will be the first time the event has been hosted at the 1.44-mile track. The exhibition race will be held on June 13 and will air at 8 p.m. ET on FS1 and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
This is a non-points event but the stakes are high as the race winner will earn a $900,000 prize with $100,000 going to the fastest pit crew in a mandatory pit stop.
There will be six rounds for a total of 100 laps and the starting lineup for Round 1 will be determined by a random draw. The first four rounds will consist of 15 laps each, the fifth round will be 30 laps and the final round will be a 10-lap shootout.
Texas Motor Speedway president and GM Eddie Gossage said, “Drivers and pit crews better pack their lunch pails because they are going to have to work extremely hard to earn the honor of celebrating in Victory Lane.” Gossage also indicated that he has planned a Wild West theme for pre-race ceremonies, saying, “This is a full metal rodeo for a big ole bag of dough.”
The race format will also include inverted fields and only green flag laps will count.
FORMAT:
Round 1 – 15 laps. After this round, the field will be inverted using a random draw and will start between the eighth and 12th positions.
Round 2 – 15 laps. The entire field will be inverted after this round.
Round 3 – 15 laps. The field will be inverted again using a random draw and starting between the eighth through 12th positions.
Round 4 – 15 laps.
Round 5 – 30 laps. The lineup for this round will be determined by the cumulative finish from the first four rounds. The driver with the best cumulative finish will start on the pole. This round also features a mandatory four-tire pit stop. The crew with the fastest pit stop will claim the $100,000 bonus.
Round 6 – 10 lap Shootout. The cars will line up by their finishing position in Round 5.
The NASCAR Open will be run before the NASCAR All-Star Race at 6 p.m. ET on FS1. It will consist of three segments of 20/20/10 laps. The winner of each segment will race their way into the All-Star event. NASCAR fans will also be able to vote for a driver in the Fan Vote which will open Thursday, May 13 on NASCAR.com.
The drivers that are eligible for the NASCAR All-Star Race have won a points race in 2020 or 2021, have previously won an All-Star Race and currently compete full-time and drivers who have won a NASCAR Cup Series Championship and currently compete full-time.
Drivers who are currently eligible to participate in the All-Star Race:
