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Author: Barry Albert

  • Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Report – Kentucky Speedway

    Team Penske NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Report – Kentucky Speedway

    Team Penske Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Qualifying Report

    Track: Kentucky Speedway
    Race: Quaker State 400
    Date: July 12, 2019

    _____________________________________________

    No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang – Brad Keselowski
    Practice 1
    Position: 7th
    Time / Speed: 29.657 seconds / 182.082 mph

    Final Practice
    Position: 1st
    Time / Speed: 29.621 seconds / 182.303 mph

    Qualifying
    Position: 3rd
    Time / Speed: 29.437 seconds / 183.443 mph

    _____________________________________________

    No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang – Ryan Blaney
    Practice 1
    Position: 11th
    Time / Speed: 29.718 seconds / 181.708 mph

    Final Practice
    Position: 4th
    Time / Speed: 29.719 seconds / 181.702 mph

    Qualifying
    Position: 15th
    Time / Speed: 29.671 seconds / 181.996 mph

    _____________________________________________

    No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang – Joey Logano
    Practice 1
    Position: 12th
    Time / Speed: 29.728 seconds / 181.647 mph

    Final Practice
    Position: 19th
    Time / Speed: 29.980 seconds / 180.120 mph

    Qualifying
    Position: 11th
    Time / Speed: 29.620 seconds / 182.309 mph

    ______________________________________________

    Fastest Time:
    Practice 1: 29.389 seconds (No. 1 – Kurt Busch)
    Final Practice: 29.621 seconds (No. 2 – Keselowski)
    Qualifying: 29.254 seconds (No. 41 – Daniel Suarez)

    Notes: Brad Keselowski and the No. 2 Discount Tire Ford Mustang team led the Team Penske charge in qualifying for Saturday night’s Quaker State 400 at Kentucky Speedway by claiming the third place starting position for the race. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series winner at Kentucky, Keselowski was the fastest man in final practice before holding down the top spot in qualifying until late in the session when two fellow Ford Performance competitors topped him as the track temperatures cooled. Points leader Joey Logano will roll off from the 11th position in the No. 22 Shell-Pennzoil Ford Mustang, followed by Ryan Blaney in 15th in the No. 12 DEX Imaging Ford Mustang.

    All qualifying times remain unofficial until tomorrow’s technical inspection occurs.

    Coverage: The Quaker State 400 will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, July 13, with live coverage on NBCSN, MRN and Sirius XM NASCAR.

  • Matt Tifft Rides into Daytona with Ron Jon Surf Shop

    Matt Tifft Rides into Daytona with Ron Jon Surf Shop

    Popular Beach Store Celebrating its 60th Anniversary with No. 36 Ford

    MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 2, 2019) – Ron Jon Surf Shop, the iconic surfer style retailer, will partner with Front Row Motorsports (FRM) and Matt Tifft for the “Coke Zero Sugar 400” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race at Daytona International Speedway on July 6. Ron Jon Surf Shop is celebrating the brand’s 60th anniversary in 2019.

    Ron Jon Surf Shop is known for offering the surf, beach and active lifestyle to visitors from around the world. Ron Jon Surf Shop currently operates stores throughout Florida and in other locations along the eastern seaboard including Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala., two locations in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and its original location in Ship Bottom, N.J. Ron Jon Surf Shop carries all of the beach essentials needed to have fun in the sun and features a wide assortment of surfwear, swimwear, sunglasses, hats, footwear and many other items perfectly suited for the casual beach lifestyle.

    “NASCAR fans obviously like spending a lot of time outdoors,” said Heather Lewis, Marketing Director of Ron Jon Surf Shop. “There’s a natural correlation between their core fans and our customers. We’re excited to team up with Matt Tifft once again and help carry our message and values to a broader audience.”

    “It’s so great to have Ron Jon Surf Shop on the car at Daytona,” said Tifft. “If you grew up going to beaches on the east coast, they’re a brand you instantly recognize. To have them with us, celebrating their 60th anniversary is a huge honor and I can’t wait to turn heads on track with this car.”

    The No. 36 Ron Jon Surf Shop Ford Mustang will make its debut at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday, July 4 for practice. Matt Tifft will visit the Cocoa Beach store (4151 N. Atlantic Ave, Cocoa Beach, FL) on Friday, July 5 from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ET. The “Coke Zero Sugar 400” Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race will air Saturday, July 6 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and MRN.

    For more information about Ron Jon Surf Shop, visit RonJonSurfShop.com and follow them on social media: Facebook at Facebook.com/RonJons; Twitter at @RonJons and Instagram at @ronjonofficial.

    About Ron Jon Surf Shop
    Ron Jon Surf Shop was founded in 1959 on the New Jersey shore out of an appreciation for the sport of surfing. Two years later, “The Original” Ron Jon Surf Shop opened in Long Beach Island, N.J. The lifestyle-apparel and board-sports-equipment retailer has since opened stores in Cocoa Beach, Orlando, Fort Myers, Key West, Panama City Beach, Pensacola Beach, Clearwater Beach, Fla., as well as in Ocean City, Md., Orange Beach, Ala. and Myrtle Beach, S.C. The flagship store in Cocoa Beach is the world’s largest surf shop. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. www.RonJonSurfShop.com.

    About Front Row Motorsports
    Front Row Motorsports (FRM) is a winning organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The team was founded in 2004 and is owned by successful entrepreneur, Bob Jenkins. FRM fields three full-time entries – the No. 34 of Michael McDowell, the No. 36 of Matt Tifft and the No. 38 of David Ragan – from its Mooresville, N.C., headquarters just outside of Charlotte. The team’s partnership base includes CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Ford Performance, Love’s Travel Stops, Select Blinds, Shriners Hospitals for Children, Tunity, Surface and Speedco. Visit teamfrm.com and follow FRM on social media: Twitter at @Team_FRM, Instagram at @team_frm and Facebook at facebook.com/FrontRowMotorsports.

  • Ford Performance NASCAR: Chicagoland Advance

    Ford Performance NASCAR: Chicagoland Advance

    FORD PERFORMANCE NASCAR: CHICAGOLAND NOTES

    All three of NASCAR’s top touring series will be in action this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway as the track hosts events on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Here’s a look at how Ford has fared at the 1.5-mile speedway since it began hosting events in 2001.

    EIGHT FORD DRIVERS IN PLAYOFF POSITION

    Even though there are still 10 races remaining before the Playoffs officially begin, it’s not too early to start looking at which drivers are in position to make the 16-driver field. Heading into this weekend’s race at Chicagoland Speedway, eight Ford drivers find themselves in Playoff spots. Joey Logano is the points leader and already assured of a spot with two victories while Penske teammate Brad Keselowski is also locked in with three wins. Here’s a look at Ford drivers, along with their current point positions.

    FORD DRIVERS IN THE MENCS STANDINGS
    1st – Joey Logano
    3rd – Kevin Harvick
    4th – Brad Keselowski
    9th – Ryan Blaney
    11th – Aric Almirola
    12th – Clint Bowyer
    13th – Daniel Suarez
    16th – Ryan Newman

    FORD IN THE MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES AT CHICAGOLAND

    · Ford has 1 all-time series win at Chicagoland.

    · Kevin Harvick won the first two series races held at the track (2001 and 2002).

    · Brad Keselowski also has two series victories, including one with Ford (2014).

    FORD IN THE NASCAR XFINITY SERIES AT CHICAGOLAND

    · Ford has 3 series wins at Chicagoland.

    · Bobby Hamilton Jr. won Ford’s first series race at the track in 2003.

    · Current Cup full-timers Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2012) and Joey Logano (2013) also have wins.

    FORD IN THE GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES AT CHICAGOLAND

    · Ford is still looking for its first series win at Chicagoland.

    KESELOWSKI REGISTERS CHICAGOLAND FIRST

    Ford’s lone Monster Energy NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win at Chicagoland Speedway came in 2014 when Brad Keselowski kicked off the new Playoff format by leading the final 16 laps. The win was his second straight after winning the previous week at Richmond, and also clinched an automatic berth into the next round. Keselowski provided the drama the new format figured to deliver as he squeezed between Kevin Harvick and Kyle Larson to grab the lead and win for the fifth time that season.

    FORD MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES WINNERS AT CHICAGOLAND
    2014 – Brad Keselowski

    FORD NASCAR XFINITY SERIES WINNERS AT CHICAGOLAND
    2003 – Bobby Hamilton Jr.
    2012 – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (2)
    2013 – Joey Logano (1)

  • Toyota MENCS Michigan Post-Qualifying

    Toyota MENCS Michigan Post-Qualifying

    Toyota Racing Post-Qualifying Report
    Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS)
    Michigan International Speedway – June 8, 2019

    TOYOTA STARTING POSITIONS
    1st, Joey Logano*
    2nd, Aric Almirola*
    3rd, Kevin Harvick*
    4th, DENNY HAMLIN
    5th, Clint Bowyer*
    14th, ERIK JONES
    15th, KYLE BUSCH
    16th, MARTIN TRUEX JR
    29th, MATT DIBENEDETTO
    *non-Toyota driver

    TOYOTA QUOTES

    DENNY HAMLIN, No. 11 FedEx Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Qualifying Position: 4th

    What do you expect from Sunday’s race?

    “Cars will be closer together and who knows how passing is going to be. It looked like it was a little tough in practice, but certainly we’re running a lot of on-throttle time. We’ll just sort of see how the race plays out and then we’ll know better for the second race when we come back.”

    Are there any notes from previous races that can be used this season?

    “It’s been totally different. Really no notes have been able to be used from previous years other than maybe a little in the short tracks. The mile-and-a-half and two-mile stuff has all been completely different and that’s been the biggest challenge.”

    How strong is the Joe Gibbs Racing organization this season?

    “The organization is really running well, and it seems like one of our cars is hitting it every week, even though we may not show it in practice. Hopefully, we’re the ones that got it right this week. We’re going to have a good qualifying spot so we’re optimistic that we’ll have a good day on Sunday.”

    ERIK JONES, No. 20 Craftsman/Sport Clips Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Qualifying Position: 14th

    How special is it to race at your home track here in Michigan?

    “It always is, coming back here. Being at home and staying with the family and seeing all the people that come out and support this race is always a good feeling. I’ve always wanted to race here growing up and now I have my opportunity in the Cup Series. To come here always feels good. Would definitely love to get a win here at some point in my career in the Cup Series.”

    KYLE BUSCH, No. 18 M&M’s Hazelnut Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Qualifying Position: 15th

    How was your car in practice yesterday and what do you expect in Sunday’s race?

    “Our M&M’s Hazelnut Camry was pretty good in practice and it was really good by itself. Really good out front and led pretty well. Had decent speed up there, but after a few laps, guys were able to attack us and get to our side – stuff like that. Traffic was not very good, it was really, really hard to keep in the wake of the guys in front of you and be able to make time on him. Then to be able to get a good enough and big enough run to make a pass.”

    MARTIN TRUEX JR., No. 19 Auto Owners Insurance Toyota Camry, Joe Gibbs Racing

    Qualifying Position: 16th

    What do you expect in Sunday’s race?

    “It’s hard to tell today, qualifying is wide open and pretty easy here. It felt good today and yesterday we had a decent practice. We started off pretty good and the track changed quite a bit as we ran. Then we got off a little, but I feel good about what we have. It’s going to be a big challenge to make moves tomorrow and make the right moves. It seems like this place here, you almost get penalized when you beat someone through the corner getting underneath them. You try to pass somebody and if they screw up getting into the corner or whatever, you can get under them and then you get on the straightaway and six cars pass you. It’s a frustrating place to race because of that. Hopefully, the groove moves up, that’s what we really need to happen, so we’ll see how that works out.”

    MATT DiBENEDETTO, No. 95 Toyota Express Toyota Camry, Leavine Family Racing

    Qualifying Position: 29th

    How was your car in qualifying and do you expect this race to be similar to a superspeedway race?

    “It’s okay, qualifying hasn’t been so much of our strong suit, but the Toyotas seem to race well and hopefully we can go into attack mode in the race. That’s the main priority. This race isn’t going to race totally like a superspeedway race because that dirty air you get in the corners from the big spoilers and stuff – these cars are just too aero-dependent. In the corners, it will be hard when you get stuck behind people in a dirty wake of air. It’s the same battles we’ve had all year. It will be tough, but I think you’ll get a suck-up on the straightaways for sure. That might make you have to play a little defense to the guy behind you and things like that. It is tough in the corners, you can get stuck behind people that you might be significantly faster than and that’s just a product of the fact that in my opinion, big spoilers don’t belong on stock cars and it makes it tough to pass.”

  • Ford Performance NASCAR: Michigan 1 (Menard Paces Xfinity Mustangs at Michigan)

    Ford Performance NASCAR: Michigan 1 (Menard Paces Xfinity Mustangs at Michigan)

    Ford Performance Notes and Quotes
    NASCAR Xfinity Series (NXS)
    Saturday, June 8, 2019
    EVENT: LTi Printing 250 Post Race

    FORD FINISHING RESULTS
    4th – Paul Menard
    7th – Chase Briscoe
    11th Austin Cindric
    12th – Cole Custer

    PAUL MENARD, No. 12 Menards/Richmond Ford Mustang: FINISHED 4th

    “It is kind of interesting how the lines kind of moved around. I could make time on the bottom and you normally can’t here. The car was really fast up front. A little on the loose side. Then you get behind and it is like you have to adjust for it more when you hit traffic. I was just a little tight at the end. The 12 guys were great. Everyone on the Richmond/Menards Ford Mustang was great. We sat P1 and were probably just one adjustment off at the end.”

    COLE CUSTER, No. 00 Jacob Companies Ford Mustang: FINISHED 12th

    “We had a really fast Mustang. I really wanted to win here for Ford in their backyard and everything. We got the track position and got up front and I think we had the best car here. I don’t know how much the 2 was saving there but the strategy just didn’t work out for us. That one kind of stings but I definitely feel like we had a fast car.”

    “The strategy just didn’t work out for us. That is Michigan. Half the time it is just pit strategies. Our Jacob Companies Ford Mustang was awesome. I think we brought the fastest car here, it just didn’t work out in the end. We will go on to the next one. It is good we have fast cars.”

    CHASE BRISCOE, No. 98 Nutri Chomps / Blair’s Farm & Fleet Ford Mustang: FINISHED 7th

    “We were really loose all day long. We were going to play the fuel strategy card and we were going to be alright I think. Honestly, after that spin was the best the car was all day. At the end we were two or three-tenths better than the leader. Drove to fifth or sixth from the back and I feel like I had a lot more but I just got stuck in traffic and racing guys. A couple guys, I don’t know, they were just racing dumb in my opinion and we ended up racing each other so hard that we cost each other six seconds on the race track. Instead of running second or third we ran seventh instead. Overall I thought we made our car better all day which is always good. We just have to start the race better.”

    “Definitely it was aggressive on the restart. This place is so narrow. It is hard to do anything regardless. Obviously the restarts were pretty intense but we just would get single file and it seems like you have to run that middle and you get suckered into going to the bottom and get freight trained. If you get a run on a guy and don’t clear him you end up losing two or three spots. It is part of racing here and you know that going into it but it doesn’t make it any more fun.”

  • Ryan Newman – Texas Advance

    Ryan Newman – Texas Advance

    Team: No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang
    Crew Chief: Scott Graves

    Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman

    O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 – Sunday, March 31 at 3 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90

    ADVANCE NOTES

    Newman at Texas Motor Speedway

    · Newman will make his 32nd start at Texas on Sunday. In 31 prior races Newman has one win with three top-five and six top-10 finishes and an average finish of 18.9.

    · Newman went to victory lane in just his second Cup race ever at the 1.5-mile track back in 2003, leading 77 laps after starting third.

    · He also crossed the line fifth in the 2007 fall race and fourth in the following event (spring 2008). His most recent top-10 came in the 2016 fall event where he finished 10th.

    · Newman has two career Cup poles at Texas, both of which came in 2005 when he swept the pole spot that season. Overall he has an average starting spot of 16.4 with his most recent top-10 start coming in 2017 (ninth).

    · Newman also has three starts in the Xfinity Series at TMS, where he led the field to green in 2005 and recorded a top finish of 14th in 2001.

    Scott Graves at Texas Motor Speedway

    · Graves will be atop the box for his sixth MENCS race at Texas on Sunday. In five prior starts with Ricky Stenhouse, Jr. and Daniel Suarez, Graves has an average finish of 23.6.

    · He led Suarez to a 14th-place result in 2017 and also finished 16th with Stenhouse in 2013. He also has two top-10 starts at the 1.5-mile track, including ninth in 2013 and sixth in 2017.

    · Graves also has two top-10s and one top-five in the Xfinity Series at Texas, finishing fifth with Suarez in 2016 and ninth with Buescher in 2015.

    QUOTE WORTHY

    Newman on racing at Texas:

    “Texas is always a fun track to go to and one that has been good to me in my career. We’re working hard to get back on track and continue improving in the weeks to come. We’re looking forward to the weekend with Wyndham Rewards and also the La Quinta® brand on board as well.”

    On the Car

    Wyndham Rewards, the award-winning hotel loyalty program, is back on the No. 6 for 2019. Coming next week, Wyndham Rewards will be more rewarding than ever. Free nights faster. More ways to earn. More ways to redeem. Learn more at wyndhamrewards.com/comingsoon.

    · La Quinta is joining Wyndham Rewards on April 3rd! That means Wyndham Rewards members will have 900+ new places to earn and redeem points. La Quinta will be featured on the No. 6 Wyndham Rewards Ford Mustang this weekend on the TV panel.

  • Richard Childress Racing Names Daniel Hemric as Driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 2019

    Richard Childress Racing Names Daniel Hemric as Driver of the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 2019

    NASCAR Xfinity Series championship contender will move to Cup Series

    WELCOME, N.C. (September 28, 2018) – Richard Childress Racing has promoted Daniel Hemric to drive the No. 31 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series beginning in 2019. Hemric, 27, boasts back-to-back NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoff berths at RCR, including a Championship 4 appearance at Homestead-Miami Speedway during his rookie season.

    While some kids get their start riding bikes with training wheels, Hemric was championing go-karts at the age of five and within the next six years, his driving accolades included 11 wins and a Concord (North Carolina) Speedway track championship. Bandoleros, Legend Cars and Late Models followed with the same success, with 60 victories, back-to-back Legend Car Pro championships (2008 and 2009), the National Legend Car Pro championship and two Summer Shootout Series titles (2009 and 2013). He would also go on to win the Champion Racing Association JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour championship (2012) and the Southern Super Series championship (2013).

    In 2010, Hemric took home the largest paycheck in Legend Car history when he won the inaugural Legends Millions race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the largest one-of-a-kind grassroots event featuring more than 300 entries. The titles kept coming with Summer Shootout Series and Champion Racing Association JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour championships in 2012 and in 2013 and the Southern Super Series championship.

    Before joining RCR, Hemric drove two full seasons in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. In 50 starts, the Kannapolis native scored 15 top-five and 30 top-10 results along with two top-10 finishes in the driver championship point standings.

    “We’ve had our eye on Daniel since he raced with Austin (Dillon) and Ty (Dillon) in Bandolero cars and then into Legends racing,” said Richard Childress, Chairman and CEO of RCR. “We hired him to drive our No. 21 Xfinity entry in 2017 and our plan was to develop Daniel and move him up to the Cup Series when the time was right. We believe that time is now. Daniel has won championships in just about everything he’s raced, and I hope we can add an Xfinity Series title before season’s end. He battled for the championship right to the end last year. He’s had another strong year in 2018 and will represent RCR well in the Cup Series along with iconic brands including Caterpillar and Chevrolet.”

    Hemric, who grew up in Kannapolis, North Carolina, the same hometown as the late Dale Earnhardt Sr., is ready to join NASCAR’s premier series driving the No. 31 alongside longtime friend and veteran teammate Austin Dillon. Hemric joins several other Cup Series regulars who have successfully risen through RCR’s acclaimed Xfinity Series program.

    “Ever since I was a kid growing up in Kannapolis, I followed and rooted for RCR,” said Hemric. “I enjoyed competing against Austin and Ty years ago and we became close friends along the way. My dream has always been to race for championships in the NASCAR Cup Series. I have worked hard to get here and those who know me and have supported me, know I take nothing for granted. The time has come to take that next step, and I want to thank Richard for believing in me and providing such an amazing opportunity. I also look forward to working together closely with Austin and the No. 3 team during the 2019 season.”

    In 60 NXS starts for RCR, Hemric has earned three pole awards, 20 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes. He boasts an average start of 8.3 and an average finish of 11.6. Hemric also qualified for the Xfinity Series Playoffs in 2017 and 2018, and currently sits second in the championship points standings.

    Further announcements on sponsors and other details will be made at a later date.

    -30-
    About Richard Childress Racing:
    Richard Childress Racing (rcrracing.com) is a renowned, performance-driven racing, marketing and manufacturing organization. Incorporated in 1969, RCR has earned more than 200 victories and 17 championships, including six in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with the legendary Dale Earnhardt. RCR was the first organization to win championships in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and is a three-time winner of the Daytona 500 (1998, 2007, 2018). Its 2018 Cup Series lineup includes two-time NASCAR champion, 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion Austin Dillon (No. 3 Dow/American Ethanol/AAA Chevrolet) along with 2008 Daytona 500 champion and 2013 Brickyard 400 winner Ryan Newman (No. 31 Caterpillar/Grainger/Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s/Liberty National Chevrolet). Its Xfinity Series program includes a multi-driver lineup with the No. 3 Chevrolet including Austin and Ty Dillon, Jeb Burton, Shane Lee and Brendan Gaughan, first-year RCR driver Matt Tifft (No. 2 Nexteer/Tunity/Surface Sunscreen Chevrolet) and second-year Xfinity Series driver Daniel Hemric (No. 21 South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet).

  • Bell wins at Richmond; Sadler collects $100,000

    Bell wins at Richmond; Sadler collects $100,000

    Christopher Bell held off his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate to win Friday nights NASCAR Xfinity Series race ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway.

    “My teammate was really good. I knew throughout both practices that both of our cars were going to be really strong. Joe Gibbs Racing has been producing really, really fast Camrys for the last couple weeks and it’s really shown.” Bell said.

    This was Bell’s second career victory in the series. Bell also has the most laps-led among active drivers in the NXS after eight races with 192.

    “I’m just really thankful for all of our partners at Rheem, GameStop, Toyota, TRD and everyone that was watching on the Xfinity X1 app, Xfinity for supporting the series and thank you to all of the fans that came out.” Bell said.

    Elliott Sadler won the first stage and finished third. Sadler also won the $100,000 bonus as the top finisher in the Dash for Cash and holds the series points lead by 29 points

    “To not win the race is bad, but to win the $100,000 is great.” said Sadler

    Matt Tifft had a strong run and finished fourth.

    “That was more work than I thought I was going to have to do tonight. We were definitely a top-three car, we just needed a Cup race worth of distance to get there.” said Cindric. “We had a great long-run car all night and definitely a car that was able to contend for the win. I’m really, really happy with the guys.”

    Austin Cindric finished fifth and will be in the Dash for Cash next weekend at Talladega along with Bell and Sadler.

    “It feels great to put together a weekend from start to finish like this and finally get the result we deserve to go along with it. Our No. 2 National Brain Tumor Society Chevrolet Camaro was fast all day long.” said Tiff.

  • Qualifying cancelled; Harvick on the pole for Sunday’s race at Richmond

    Qualifying cancelled; Harvick on the pole for Sunday’s race at Richmond

    Qualifying for Sunday’s Toyota Owner’s 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Richmond International Raceway has been cancelled due to inclement weather.

    Rain entered the area shortly after noon and wiped out Friday’s scheduled Sprint Cup Series qualifying session. The field was set based off the speeds during Friday’s practice session. Kevin Harvick had the fastest lap of 129.069 MPH and will be on the pole for Sunday’s race.

    “We had decided to come into the weekend and approach Qualifying a little bit different just for the way that the race tracks have been and the timing of our practices, and things. So, we decided to go and try to take advantage of being the first car on the race track, which is usually a pretty big advantage here when the track is green and doesn’t have a lot of rubber on it. And so, it worked out today.” Harvick said.

    Joey Logano had a practice speed of 128.694 MPH and will start second.

    “I feel like my team did a great job understanding the weather today before we hit the race track. We went out there and made our qualifying run off the truck and then focused in on race trim thinking that we weren’t going to qualifying anyway. The plan was executed perfectly besides second instead of first. Overall it is a good starting spot.” Logano said.

    Jimmie Johnson starts third, Carl Edwards fourth and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top five.

    The Toyota Owner’s 400 is scheduled to start on Sunday, April 24 at 1 p.m., EST and will be aired live on FOX, MRN Radio and Sirius NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

    Here’s the starting order for Sunday’s race:

    [pdf-embedder url=”http://www.speedwaymedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/C1609_STARTROW.pdf”]

  • Kenseth says the penalties are “grossly unfair” and “borderline shameful”

    Kenseth says the penalties are “grossly unfair” and “borderline shameful”

    Matt Kenseth’s engine failed inspection after his win on Sunday at Kansas Speedway and NASCAR hit the No. 20 team hard this week with penalties.  Kenseth lashed back during his press conference at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday.

    “I think the penalties are grossly unfair.  I think it’s borderline shameful.  There’s no argument the part was wrong.  They weighed it and it was wrong.” Kenseth added.

    His argument is that there was “certainly was no performance advantage”.

    “If you can find any unbiased, reputable, knowledgeable engine-builder and if they saw the facts, what all the rods weighed.  The average weight of all the rods was well above the minimum 2.5 (grams) above the minimum at least.  There was one in there that was way heavy.  There was no performance advantage, there was no intent, it was a mistake.” Kenseth said.

    NASCAR issued a statement earlier this week, in part.  “The No. 20 car was found to have violated Sections 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4J (any determination by NASCAR officials that the race equipment used in the event does not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-5.5.3 (E) (Only magnetic steel connecting rods with a minimum weight of 525.0 grams will be permitted; connecting rod failed to meet the minimum connecting rod weight) of the 2013 rule book.”

    NASCAR penalized Kenseth 50 points and crew chief Jason Ratcliff was fined $200,000, suspended six races and will be on probation until December 31.  Kenseth will also not receive the three bonus “chase” points for the win if he makes the Chase.

    “I don’t feel bad for myself at all, but for Jason and Joe, I just couldn’t feel any worse.  There’s no more reputable, honest hard-working guys with good reputations more so than those two.  I feel really bad for them.” Kenseth said.

    The team was also penalized 50 owner points and the owner’s license on the car has been suspended for the next six races and the car will be ineligible to accrue owner’s points during that time.

    “JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) had no control over it.  Certainly to crush Joe Gibbs like that.  To say they can’t win an owner’s championship with the 20 this year is just, I can’t wrap my arms around that, it just blows me away.” Kenseth said.

    The team will appeal the penalties and Kenseth is unsure of the outcome or process.

    “I’ve never been through it so I honestly don’t know.  That’s the hope, that’s why it’s setup.  You’ve seen some examples of both.  I don’t know.  That’s what the hope is, that’s why it’s setup.  We’ll just go through that and see what happens and see whatever the final verdict is.  We’ll have to live with that and move on.” Kenseth said.