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  • Friesen survives, wins his first career race at Eldora

    Friesen survives, wins his first career race at Eldora

    It took 437 laps led and 63 starts but finally, Stewart Friesen is a winner in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. Friesen had to hold off Sheldon Creed and company to win the Dirt Derby at Eldora Speedway.

    “Thank you to all the race fans that stuck with us, that kept pulling for us,” Friesen said after he got out of his truck in Victory Lane. “Everybody that came to my hauler and thought that this is the week. Today, this is the day. This is part of it!”

    “Just thanks to all these race fans. This was meant to be.”

    Friesen was on the last spot in the Truck championship but with the win, he is locked into the field of eight for the Truck Series Playoffs that will start in Bristol.

    Sheldon Creed came home with a career-best finish of second followed by Grant Enfinger and Mike Marlar, a dirt regular, who came home fourth. Kyle Bisch Motorsports driver Todd Gilliland came home in fifth.

    Chase Briscoe and Matt Crafton started on the front row and they are no strangers to being up front on the dirt. Briscoe won this race last year with Crafton winning the year before. Briscoe led from wire to wire even though the stage was slowed by two quick cautions. Landon Huffman who is subbing for Spencer Boyd spun it around. Then Jake Griffin spun it around as well right after the green flag waved from the Huffman spin. When it was all said and done it was Briscoe winning the stage followed by Gilliland, Brett Moffitt, Creed and Crafton to round out the top five.

    Stage 2:

    Most of the leaders decided to stay out after the stage break with the exception of Gilliland and Moffitt while Briscoe continued to dominate as he did in the first stage. Also like the first stage, some yellows disrupted the flow of the action. Harrison Burton spun his truck around on Lap 57 and the dirt version of “The Big One” happened on Lap 65 which involved Austin Hill, Burton, Christian Eckes, Carson Hocevar, Colt Gilliam and more. Many were able to continue but for Hill and Gilliam, their nights were over.

    The action and the yellows did not stop though as the No. 34 of Mason Massey spun it around on Lap 76 when he got a cut tire. Creed spun it after they went back to green after the Massey spin but there was no yellow waved.

    Like the first stage though it was all Briscoe as he went wire to wire to win the stage.

    Final Stage:

    Friesen stayed out while Briscoe and Crafton, among others, went in to pit after the stage ended. With going in to pit Briscoe restarted 12th while Friesen led the field to green to start the final stage. Friesen started to pull away but it was all for nothing due to the No. 45 of Chastain spinning right in front of the field. But somehow, someway, all of the field escaped without hitting Chastain’s truck.

    There were a few more incidents after this one including a yellow that featured three wrecks in one. First, the No. 54 of Kyle Strickler spun trying to navigate the high side and before that the No. 32 of Devin Dodson and the No. 10 of Jennifer Jo Cobb. Last but not least Johnny Sauter and Briscoe got connected after the Strickler spin. Norm Benning spun with 31 laps to go after they went back to green following the multiple trucks that spun in the previous caution. The fun didn’t stop there as Dodson spun it around again with 17 laps to go.

    Briscoe was a man on a mission but he tried a little bit too hard and spun out with nine laps to go while battling Creed for fifth. Briscoe went on to finish seventh.

    There is only one race left to make the field of eight for the Gander Outdoors Truck Series Championship and that will be determined by the race in Michigan, a week from Saturday (August 3), on FS1.

  • Bubble Drivers Running for a 2019 Playoff Spot – Who Will Make It?

    Bubble Drivers Running for a 2019 Playoff Spot – Who Will Make It?

    With just six more races left in the regular season for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, six drivers in 13th through 18th place are within 31 points of each other. It’s a tight race for those last few spots, and a win could spoil the party even further.

    But who has the best shot with six tracks nowhere near related to each other?

    I’m talking about Pocono Raceway first, then the high speed Watkins Glen International Raceway. After that, we go to our last 2-mile oval of the year at Michigan International Speedway, with Bristol Motor Speedway as the last race in August. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series holds their Labor Day tradition at the track “Too Tough To Tame”, Darlington Raceway, and then the legendary Brickyard 400 to close out the regular season.

    Maybe Pocono has some relation to a couple of these tracks with its three differing corners, but as a whole, these six circuits are incomparable to each other.

    So let’s first look at the drivers in that tight battle for those last four points positions and who I feel will make the Playoffs.

    Kyle Larson (+14, 13th in points)

    Surprisingly, Larson is at the top of the bubble gap, sitting 13th in points. Even though the current package does not showcase his talent, he has finished in the top-10 in half of the races this season and currently sits higher than most would have anticipated. However, 14 points aren’t much of an advantage for Larson considering a few missed top-10 stage finishes could eliminate that cushion.

    “I feel okay about it (his Playoff position) but thankful the rest of the bubble guys had issues this last race (at New Hampshire) because I DNFed and only lost nine points to the cutoff,” Larson said. “I was surprised by that.

    “I do feel like our cars are definitely fast enough and capable and should be in the playoffs. As far as speed goes, I feel good about it. But obviously, I’ve got to just not make mistakes to give up a lot of points, like I could have this last weekend.”

    He is 31 points ahead of both Jimmie Johnson and Daniel Suarez, who are tied in points but below the cutoff. However, Larson doesn’t take that for granted, knowing how quickly he can lose points, can’t rely on other drivers having bad days and understanding that a win from a driver below him can quickly shake things up.

    Larson has a lot of strong tracks coming up, including Pocono where he won two stages and led 35 laps in the race this June, and Michigan where he has won before. If the No. 42 Chip Ganassi Racing team can hold their own and put together a couple good runs, they could either win their way in or squeeze in on points. My prediction is that he’ll make the Playoffs.

    Erik Jones (+11, 14th in points)

    “That Jones Boy” holds 14th in the points standings, despite having some strong runs and holds the most top fives and top 10’s in the year compared to these other drivers. Out of the entire Joe Gibbs Racing camp, Jones is the only one lacking a win and risking a Playoff spot.

    Jones believes that if his team can clean up a few mishaps and have a little luck on their side, he could get his second career victory to lock himself into the Playoffs.

    “Some of it has been our own fault. Phoenix, we had a loose wheel to start the race, blow a tire, get in the wall, ruins our day,” Jones shared earlier this summer at Daytona International Speedway. “Charlotte, we blow a right front; whether that is our fault or not, I don’t know.

    “There is Bristol, loose wheel, go three laps down. There have been so many races where you take yourself out of it. That’s what you can’t do in this sport and try to make the playoffs. We have had fast cars; Sonoma, we had another good car, but we had to start in the back. Chicago, we had an okay car, but we made a good day out of it. We’ve got good cars; we just need to have things go our way. We need to execute better on our end on all fronts. Make sure we are doing all we can to get the best finish that we can.”

    While he does have four top 10 finishes in the last five races, he also does have three finishes of 30th or worse, including a last-place finish after crashing out of the Coca-Cola 600 after 22 laps. That inconsistency and this tight points race could hurt him, so my vote is that Jones will miss the Playoffs after a few bad runs at places he could have gained ground.

    Ryan Newman (+4, 15th in points)

    The veteran knows how to close the deal in tight situations. While he may not have winning equipment at this time, Newman does know how to put together good enough runs to be exactly that: “good enough”.

    I don’t mean that in a negative sense at all. In fact, of all the drivers in this list, I’d say he’s the best at this exact type of war, know when and where to pick his battles.

    Take a look back in 2014. When driving for Richard Childress Racing, he was just one position shy of making the Championship 4 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He overcame this by punting Larson through Turns 3 and 4 to gain the extra position he needed to change his outcome. Putting Larson into the wall coming to the checkered flag gave Newman the position and point he needed to get into the final spot for the championship run in the season finale, knocking out Jeff Gordon from contention for his potential fifth championship.

    It doesn’t matter the job, the obstacles, or the track. Newman knows how to get it done. He will make the 2019 Playoffs when you put that challenge in front of him. Mark my word that he’ll be in the first round of the Playoffs as a contender.

    Clint Bowyer (+0, 16th in points)

    When looking back to last year, Clint Bowyer was in a much different position than he is now. At this point in 2018, Bowyer had two wins at Martinsville Speedway and Michigan (June, rain-shortened), so the No. 14 Stewart-Haas Racing team was already locked into the Playoffs. He had 10 top-10 finishes and was on pace for a good run in the postseason.

    This season has been a different story though. He is already one DNF shy of matching last year’s totals, and has no wins to lock himself in.

    However, with the tracks coming up, Bowyer has potential.

    • Pocono (June): Fifth
    • Sonoma (road course): 11th
    • Bristol: 7th, with top-10 finishes at Richmond and Martinsville

    Bowyer doesn’t want to go another six years without a victory, so look for him to challenge for a win and a few other strong finishes to solidify himself into the regular season. I’m going to lean more toward Bowyer making the Playoffs this year.

    Jimmie Johnson (-17, 17th in points)

    Jimmie Johnson is now over two years since his last Cup series victory, Dover in June 2017. And while Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet have started to find their groove, 7-Time has struggled to find consistency.

    For the past four races, he’s had two top-five finishes, and two 30th place finishes. While his average start and finishing positions have improved compared to the last two years, his inconsistent results could put him into jeopardy for a Playoff position. This has put him in the first spot below the cutoff line.

    With the tracks coming up and who he would have to beat on track for those spots, this could be Johnson’s first year where he will not be a part of the 16 drivers running for a championship in 2019. My vote says that this will stand.

    Daniel Suarez (-17, 18th in points)

    Daniel Suarez has had a roller coaster of a season. A couple of top five runs, two crashes at both Daytona races and everywhere else in between has ended him up here, 17 points below the last Playoff spot.

    He had a fantastic run at Kentucky. He won the pole, led 52 laps and finished eighth. However, he only collected 29 points in total.

    These last few races have been the worst in collecting stage points when compared to the other five drivers. Suarez started out strong by collecting a lot of stage points, salvaging a few where he crashed out, was caught a lap down or struggled to find speed later in the race.

    • Daytona (February): finished 33rd, but collected 14 points, almost double his finishing position’s worth to salvage his season-opener DNF.
    • Texas: finished third and collected 11 more points than the second-place finisher (Bowyer).
    • Richmond: finished 18th but collected seven more points than 19th.

    But since the June Pocono race when Suarez was 13th in points, he has only collected six stage points over six races, five at Daytona’s first stage and just one point from a 10th place running in the first stage at Loudon. He will need to pick up the pace on the stage points like he was at the beginning of the year if he’s going to secure his spot.

    Suarez is hungry for his first win though. He’s not running for stage points. He’s working to put himself into a position to win. While that’s an extremely valuable experience, it will cost him those critical stage points. It depends on what he values more, but if he’s willing to sacrifice a win for six more races, my guess is that he’ll fight his way back into the Playoffs.

    Drivers for the Win

    With those six drivers, it’s truly anybody’s spot, just a matter of who wants it more, and maybe who might get a little luckier than others.

    It doesn’t stop there. I feel there are two other drivers that could spoil the party with either a late-season surge or sneak in a potential win.

    Austin Dillon (-124, 22nd in points)

    Although his best finish this season is sixth, Austin Dillon has been well-known to get surprise wins at big races. His two career victories were a last lap ‘crash’ of Aric Almirola in last year’s Daytona 500, and a fuel gamble win at the 2017 Coca-Cola 600. He also earned three poles, and has led the most laps of his career in a single season already here in 2019 (69 laps).

    But despite these numbers, Richard Childress Racing hasn’t really competed much up front for a win. When Dillon has led, it’s mostly due to his pole run and getting some front running time before getting caught up in traffic after green flag pit stops or losing the lead after catching lap traffic.

    Don’t put it behind the No. 3 team to sneak in another big win, though. They’ve done it two years in a row, so the Brickyard 400 or the Southern 500 could be his third iconic victory at NASCAR’s top level.

    Matt DiBenedetto (-176, 24th in points)

    It looks like bad luck is finally behind the Hickory, NC driver. After leading the most laps of his career in a single race to kick of the season at the Daytona 500, the No. 95 team had speed, but little to no luck on their side. From mechanical failures to pit stop mishaps, ‘Guido’ has the potential to gather more strong runs than what the numbers show at this time. However, with his top five run at Sonoma Raceway, a top 10 at Daytona, then another top five at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Leavine Family Racing team has found their stride and the chemistry to run more consistent.

    Even more so, Matt DiBenedetto feels confident at the “driver’s” tracks. Sonoma, a very technical and slow road course, was a perfect example of that as he drove through the field in the closing laps to finish fourth.

    “I’ve had this one circled,” DiBenedetto shared after his finish at Sonoma. “Places like Bristol, Phoenix, here. I’ll be honest, this year has been tough because the rules are so different where it makes it a little tougher for the driver to make a difference at some of these bigger race tracks. It’s a lot of car speed and track position, so it’s been tough and mentally challenging.

    “So these places where you can just get on the wheel and show the strength of your team and how we can execute, those are the ones we circled off. I was so glad, I knew we could get a good run here.”

    There are a couple of these types of tracks coming up. Watkins Glen is another road course on the schedule for DiBenedetto to showcase his right-hand turns. Bristol is where he finished sixth in 2016 back with BK Racing. Then Darlington is a race where some drivers can show their strength of being able to wheel a car at high speeds on a very unforgiving race track. Don’t put it past the No. 95 team to sneak in a potential victory and spoil the party for those higher in the standings.

    Six completely different tracks mean we’re going to see two different races each weekend. My hope is that NBC, MRN and PRN can highlight this race within the race to let fans see exactly what I’m talking about. We may even see some desperate moves made by some drivers to get that extra point securing their spot and knocking out another. The Tricky Triangle is up first.

  • NASCAR announces change to uncontrolled tire penalties

    NASCAR announces change to uncontrolled tire penalties

    On Wednesday, NASCAR redefined specifics in the rule book to clarify adjustments with how officials will declare an uncontrolled tire violation during pit stops.

    “After discussions internally and with competitors and teams, NASCAR will adjust how we officiate the uncontrolled tire rule to focus on preventing a safety hazard rather than concentrating on the subjective ‘arm’s length’ criteria,” NASCAR said in a statement.

    The original judgment call of “arm’s length” will no longer apply, and is set around three cornerstone evaluations.

    • Tire(s) cannot roll into traffic lanes of pit road outside of the designated team’s pit box;
    • Removed tire(s) do not return to the outside half of the pit box;
    • Tire(s) are handled in a safe manner, avoiding instances of bouncing or throwing tires.

    NASCAR also made additional clarifications that any tires removed from the car during pit stops may not exceed the “proximity limits” to other pit boxes as noted in the NASCAR Rule Book. This new rule will take effect immediately, applying to the upcoming races at Pocono Raceway and Iowa Speedway for NASCAR’s top three national touring series.

    “This is something we’ve been looking at for some time over the last year or two,” said Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Vice President of officiating and technical inspection. “The evolution of the pit stop has changed over time. There was a time when we needed to officiate that call based on an arm’s length.

    “We have reviewed that numerous times and looked at it and feel like, in coordination with working with the teams, the timing is right to go ahead and remove that part of the rule from the rule book. We will continue to officiate uncontrolled tires. They still have to be controlled from the outside half of the pit box to the inside half.”

    Another concern NASCAR addressed and made changes to was mandating outside tires to be changed first. Watkins Glen is quickly approaching the schedule, and since teams usually change the right side tires first at 37 races throughout the year, one race was the exception with pit wall on the opposite side. One strategy teams were considering was to continue changing right side tires first, which would then become the “inside” tire during pit stops at the New York road course.

    For safety reasons, NASCAR regulated this and informed teams that if they elect to change four tires, the pit crew must change the outside tires first.

    “This is something we’ve been working with the teams on,” Sawyer said. “They came to us and they had been looking at changing the inside tires first, and Watkins Glen would have been the first event that they would have been trying to do that.

    “Through the collaboration, through some additional conversations, we felt like that going forward starting at Watkins Glen, for all four-tire stops you’d have to change the outside tires first. That’ll go into effect across all three national series and at every event starting at Watkins Glen next week.”

    The penalty for uncontrolled tires remains the same: a pass-through penalty during green-flag runs or dropping to the rear of the field when under caution.

  • Kevin Harvick wins at New Hampshire

    Kevin Harvick wins at New Hampshire

    With a 22 race winless streak, Kevin Harvick was not going to be denied a second lobster at New Hampshire.

    Harvick had to hold off Denny Hamlin to win his first race of the season, and the first win for his team, Stewart-Haas Racing.

    “(Hamlin) got to me, he tried to move me out of the way down there, and I knew that was coming as close as he was,” Harvick told NBCSN at the start/finish line. “So I just stood on the brakes and I’m like half throttle down the back straightaway. I’m like, ‘You’re not getting under me again.’ And he drove to the outside of me and I just waited till he got near me and I just put a wheel on him.”

    Hamlin finished second after leading 113 laps, all of them in the final stage. He took the lead after his teammate, Kyle Busch, had trouble and cut a tire and slammed into the wall in Turn 1. He went on to finish ninth but for Hamlin, it was more dejection that anything.

    “I kind of shoved (Harvick) up a little higher and tried to get him out of the groove,” Hamlin told NBCSN after the race. “I wanted to just tap him there, but I didn’t want to completely screw him. I at least wanted to give him a fair shot there. Down the backstretch, I kind of let off, and I’m like, all right, well, I’ll just pass him on the outside and kind of do this thing the right way, and once I had that big run, he just turned right. But I would do the same thing. It was a fun race, and congratulations to him and his team. They made a great call there at the end.”

    Erik Jones finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Matt Dibenedetto rounding out the top five.

    Kyle Busch dominated the first stage and half of the second stage and finished ninth.

    We had a good car all day,” Busch said after the race. “Just got into it on a restart I guess with Larson and that got us damage and that got us behind the eight ball. We would have been on strategy with where (Denny Hamlin) was the whole rest of the day, but we had to fix damage.”

    Jimmie Johnson was having a decent run when his power steering began having issues and the seven-time champ had to come in and fell multiple laps down and out of contention.

    Well, it was certainly a letdown, to say the least,” Johnson said after the race on NBCSN. “We had some issue with the power steering and the water pump pulleys. I thought it might have been from some contact on a restart. I got in the back of the car in front of me. They told me that wasn’t the case. So, I assume some debris got in the pulley system and took out my power steering and the water pump as well. So, it’s just unlucky on that front. Certainly, the wrong time of the year to have some bad luck. It looked like the guys I’m worried about in the points didn’t have the best day either, so maybe I got a pass on this one. I’m just disappointed, to say the least.”

    The Cup Series heads to Pocono for the second race of the season at the Tricky Triangle where Kyle Busch will try and sweep the series in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.


  • Christopher Bell wins at New Hampshire

    Christopher Bell wins at New Hampshire

    In dominant fashion, Christopher Bell did what he has done for most of the season, ending the race in victory lane.

    “I just had a really good race car,” Bell told NBCSN. “This track’s been really good to us and our team.”

    Bell led 186 of the 200 laps at New Hampshire Motor Speedway en route to his fifth victory of the season and the second at New Hampshire.

    Cole Custer finished second, followed by Justin Allgaier, Tyler Reddick and Paul Menard rounding out the top five.

    Stage 1:

    Custer started on the pole but was quickly taken by Bell on Lap 2 into Turn 1. Bell led all the way until 10 to go in the stage when the No. 23 of John Hunter Nemechek lost his brakes and got into the wall. His day was quickly over, not the result that he was looking for at New Hampshire.

    With under 10 to go in the stage during this caution, teams chose to select some different strategies. The leaders came in but Ryan Sieg and Brandon Jones, among others, stayed out in the hope that either a caution would come out close to the stage ending or they could hold on for some stage points.

    That hopefulness worked as Jones ended up winning the stage with Bell, Reddick, Sieg and Allgaier rounding out the top five.

    Stage 2:

    Stage two continued with Reddick and Bell side by side with the Oklahoma native getting the advantage. Allgaier was able to get up to second but was unable to get past Bell for the stage win.

    Custer ended up in third with Reddick and Menard rounding out the top five. With the stage going green the entire way, only 20 cars remained on the lead lap.

    Final Stage:

    Bell and Allgaier came in one and two and came out of pit lane, one and two, as they restarted the third and final stage.

    Bell started out with the lead and pulled away from the field fairly easily. Allgaier wasn’t so lucky as he battled Custer for second and eventually lost the spot to Custer. It stayed like that until Lap 141 when the yellow waved for what was a debris caution. The lap before, the No. 9 of Noah Gragson, tagged the wall and was quickly losing positions after battling for a top 10 spot.

    They went back under green but for the first time this afternoon, the beating and banging was evident. It started when Gragson got into with Austin Cindric. Cindric continued battling, this time with the No. 8 of Ryan Truex.

    While that was going the No. 18 of Harrison Burton was battling with Menard until Menard had enough and turned Burton heading into Turn 1 on Lap 153. Menard said on the radio that, “He needs to race me clean. He hit me twice.” Burton went on to finish 29th.

    The race went back green once again with 42 laps to go and like most of the day, Bell started from the front and pulled away once the green was in the air. However, unlike the previous caution, it was Custer who was chasing down Bell and not Allgaier. Custer was making ground for a little bit but in the end, Bell was too much for him and ended up in victory lane.

    Next up for the Xfinity Series? Their second trip to Iowa where Christopher Bell won earlier this year.

  • Cole Custer wins XFinity Pole at New Hampshire

    Cole Custer wins XFinity Pole at New Hampshire

    Cole Custer continued his hot streak by winning the pole for Saturday afternoon’s Roxor 200 at a hot and steamy New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

    “I didn’t know it was going to be a pole lap honestly,” Custer said after the qualifying. “I thought I could’ve hit it a little bit better. This Haas Automation Mustang has been the best car I have had in New Hampshire in a long time. I can’t thank Mike Shiplett and everybody enough. They brought a really fast car and hopefully we can stay up front today.”

    Christopher Bell will start second, followed by Austin Cindric, Ryan Blaney and Chase Briscoe rounding out the top five.

    Brandon Jones will start sixth, followed by Harrison Burton, Justin Allgaier, Ryan Truex and Noah Gragson to round out the top 10.

    Tyler Reddick will start 11th for this afternoon’s race.

    After crashing in practice, Camden Murphy attempted to go out and qualify in his Mike Harmon Entry but during his pace lap, he felt something was wrong and went back down onto pit road and did not record a lap.

    The ROXOR 200 will get underway at 4 p.m. ET and will be televised on NBCSN.

  • Haley wins the rain shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

    Haley wins the rain shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona

    Justin Haley inherited the lead under caution when Kurt Busch made his final pit stop after NASCAR initially declared they would go back to green the next lap.  NASCAR then red flagged the race with 33 laps to go due to more lightning strikes within an eight-mile radius of the Daytona International Speedway and then later declared official due to rain.

    Haley was declared the winner of the rain delayed and rain shortened Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.  The 20-year-old Indiana native driving for first-year team Spire Motorsports in the No. 77 Fraternal Order of Eagles Camaro ZL1 led only one lap and captured his first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win in only three starts. Haley becomes the fourth driver in the modern-era to win within their first three starts in the cup series.

    “It’s absolutely a blessing. Its pretty incredible that I have so many great people around me that have given me this opportunity to come here to this level and stage that we are performing on. Obviously Todd and my family have done a great job, but the Fraternal Order of Eagles has given me this opportunity with Spire Motorsports and its truly a blessing. I never even saw myself running a Cup race until I got a call a few months ago to do Talladega. It’s just unreal and I don’t know how to put it. I don’t know how to feel.” Haley said.

    William Byron finished second, Jimmie Johnson third, Ty Dillon fourth and Ryan Newman finished fifth.

    “It took us a little while to get to the front from the back and finish second. So that was good.” Byron said. “I would have liked to go back racing and win it the way I wanted to, but our team did a great job this week managing all the chaos and finishing second with a back-up car is pretty good.”

    Joey Logano won stage one and Austin Dillon won stage two.

    Kevin Harvick got a run in the tri-oval on Brad Keselowski with 18 laps to go in Stage 2. Harvick turned Keselowski into the outside wall, eliminating Keselowski and Daniel Suarez from the race.

    “I know we got to three-wide at the top of three and it looks like Kevin gave me a real straight push. I don’t know. It just took off on me.” Keselowski said.

    The bad weather headed in during the third and final stage of the race and the intensity also picked up.

    While running in the outside line, Clint Bowyer pulled down to pass Austin Dillon for the race lead. Dillon followed and Bowyer got into the back of him causing him to spin, collecting the front runners on lap 118.

    “I guess he didn’t want me to pass him. I don’t know. I got under him and he blocked, and we got together, I got off of him, moved down and got off of him and here he comes back down even more and just finally wrecked us all. That’s just part of racing like this.” Bowyer said.

    “Originally, off of turn four, I thought me and the 9 would be able to get by the 11. But the 9 wasn’t clear. I really thought it was urgent with the lighting and the rain coming. So I jumped up there and had a good push from the 14 and my plan as soon as I cleared the 11 was to cut left and get down again to get with my Chevy teammates. It’s really unfortunate because I had a really fast American Ethanol Chevy.” Dillon said.

    The series heads to Kentucky Speedway next Saturday July 13th for the Quaker State 400 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

    Monster Energy Cup Series Race Number 18
    Race Results for the 61st Annual Coke Zero Sugar 400 – Sunday, July 7, 2019
    Daytona International Speedway – Daytona Beach, FL – 2.5 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 160 Laps – 400. Miles

    Fin Str No Driver Team Laps S1Pos S2Pos Stage3Pos Pts Status
    1 34 77 Justin Haley(i) Fraternal Order of Eagles Chevrolet 127 0 0 0 0 Running
    2 12 24 William Byron Axalta Patriotic Chevrolet 127 0 3 0 43 Running
    3 14 48 Jimmie Johnson Ally Chevrolet 127 0 7 0 38 Running
    4 23 13 Ty Dillon GEICO Military Chevrolet 127 0 0 0 33 Running
    5 18 6 Ryan Newman Roush Performance Ford 127 0 0 0 32 Running
    6 30 32 Corey LaJoie Shine Armor Ford 127 0 0 0 31 Running
    7 11 10 Aric Almirola Smithfield Anytime Favorites Ford 127 0 0 0 30 Running
    8 25 95 Matt DiBenedetto Procore Toyota 127 0 0 0 29 Running
    9 31 36 Matt Tifft # Ron Jon Surf Shop Ford 127 0 0 0 28 Running
    10 8 1 Kurt Busch Global Poker Chevrolet 127 0 0 0 27 Running
    11 33 0 Landon Cassill(i) Jacob Companies Chevrolet 127 0 0 0 0 Running
    12 37 52 JJ Yeley DriveSmartWarranty.com Ford 127 0 0 0 25 Running
    13 28 34 Michael McDowell Long John Silver’s Ford 127 0 0 0 24 Running
    14 2 18 Kyle Busch Interstate Batteries Toyota 127 0 0 0 23 Running
    15 29 43 Bubba Wallace United States Air Force Chevrolet 127 0 9 0 24 Running
    16 20 21 Paul Menard Menards/Dutch Boy Ford 127 0 0 0 21 Running
    17 22 37 Chris Buescher Scott Comfort Plus Chevrolet 127 0 0 0 20 Running
    18 24 8 Daniel Hemric # Cessna Chevrolet 127 0 0 0 19 Running
    19 39 62 * Brendan Gaughan(i) Beard Oil Distributing/South Point Hotel & Casino Chevrolet 126 0 0 0 0 Running
    20 13 42 Kyle Larson Credit One Bank Chevrolet 126 0 6 0 22 Running
    21 9 88 Alex Bowman Valvoline Patriotic Chevrolet 126 0 2 0 25 Running
    22 5 19 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/TRACKER ATVs & Boats/USO Toyota 126 10 0 0 16 Running
    23 17 20 Erik Jones Sport Clips Toyota 125 0 0 0 14 Running
    24 19 17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr. Fifth Third Bank Ford 125 2 8 0 25 Running
    25 1 22 Joey Logano Shell Pennzoil Ford 125 1 10 0 23 Running
    26 6 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Office Toyota 125 8 0 0 14 Running
    27 40 53 * Joey Gase Connected Claim Services/Action Restoration Chevrolet 125 0 0 0 0 Running
    28 35 51 BJ McLeod(i) Jacob Companies Ford 124 0 0 0 0 Running
    29 4 4 Kevin Harvick Jimmy John’s Ford 124 4 0 0 15 Running
    30 38 27 * Ross Chastain(i) Xchange of America Chevrolet 122 0 0 0 0 Running
    31 36 96 * Parker Kligerman(i) TRD 40th Anniversary Toyota 121 0 0 0 0 Accident
    32 26 47 Ryan Preece # Kroger Chevrolet 119 0 0 0 5 Accident
    33 21 3 Austin Dillon American Ethanol Chevrolet 118 0 1 0 14 Accident
    34 16 14 Clint Bowyer Mobil 1/Rush Truck Centers Ford 118 7 5 0 13 Accident
    35 7 9 Chase Elliott NAPA Batteries Chevrolet 118 5 4 0 15 Accident
    36 10 12 Ryan Blaney BodyArmor Ford 118 3 0 0 9 Accident
    37 32 15 Quin Houff The Elease Project Chevrolet 108 0 0 0 1 Running
    38 27 38 David Ragan MDS Transport Ford 86 0 0 0 1 Accident
    39 3 2 Brad Keselowski Miller Lite Ford 85 9 0 0 3 Accident
    40 15 41 Daniel Suarez Haas Automation Ford 83 6 0 0 6 Accident
  • 1980’s SHOWDOWN: Pontiac Fiero vs Toyota MR2

    1980’s SHOWDOWN: Pontiac Fiero vs Toyota MR2

    The Stephen Cox Blog is presented by “Porsche Legend: The Penske L&M Porsche That Made Racing History”

    The 1970s and 80s were chock full of those wonderful, wedge-shaped sports cars such as the Triumph TR7, Fiat X1/9, and more. But in the American sales market, two models stood head and shoulders above the rest; Pontiac’s Fiero and the MR2 from Toyota. I must admit that I love these cars. After spending considerable time in them, I came away quite impressed.

    Our photos will show several models but for the purposes of this comparison, we will single out the 1987 four-cylinder, base model Fiero and the 1.6L DOHC powered Toyota MR2 of the same year. Both models received slight engine performance upgrades, bringing the Fiero to 98 horsepower while the MR2 had a slight edge at 115 horsepower.

    The Fiero’s greatest advantage was engine reliability. Its 2.5 liter inline four cylinder powerplant, known as the “Iron Duke,” was pretty indestructible. Many are still on the road today, more than 25 years after production ended. And unlike today’s corporate clone engines, the Iron Duke was a genuine Pontiac product.

    1989 Toyota MR2

    If a track day at a local road course is part of your plans, the Fiero won’t let you down. It is reasonably well balanced, the brakes are adequate for short sessions (a four-wheel disc brake upgrade came the following year) and the Iron Duke lives up to its name. The engine is good for long on-track practices, it rarely overheats, and maintains power even when abused in long sessions.

    The seats could perhaps be more supportive and a track day will leave you begging for more horsepower, but the car itself is reliable and a joy to drive. It is also a bit more predictable in corners than the Toyota, especially for those with less track experience.

    Now, about the MR2. There is a stark difference between Toyota’s road manners and its race track performance. After having raced the MR2 on several occasions, I can assure you that its handling is downright evil. Wide racing slicks make it twitchy and unpredictable in corners. Once the rear end breaks free it’s nearly impossible to gather up and straighten out. I drove a race-prepped MR2 to a podium finish in the GT Challenge Series a few years ago and was glad to get out of it once the checkered flag fell. The wide tires of GT racing simply don’t agree with the Toyota.

    Pontiac Fiero

    But remarkably, the MR2 is truly the better of the two cars as a daily driver on the road. The Toyota’s horsepower advantage is immediately obvious. In street trim, with over-the-counter performance tires, the MR2 is perfectly balanced for spirited road driving. You can make your MR2 look really sharp at Car Detailing Utah.

    I spent 10 years driving my deep blue Toyota MR2 to races all over the country, racking up well over 100,000 miles in the car. It averaged 38 mpg at 75-80 mph on the interstate. The ride was comfortable for a small car and the manual seat adjustments were more than sufficient to make a six-foot driver feel at home.

    The Toyota hits its sweet spot between 85 and 100 mph. The engine is in the center of its power band and the car gives the driver an incredible sense of security and confidence. This is the speed that the car was designed to drive. As an unrelated bonus, the MR2 has always been incredibly photogenic.

    The market seems to have stabilized on the first-generation MR2, which consistently runs about $8,000. The Pontiac Fieros have a wider range, averaging $4,000 on the low end up to premium models in the mid-teens.

    That’s a bargain for either car. Both of these largely forgotten 1980 models will give you reliability, sports car handling, and a lot of smiles for years to come. Don’t have the cash? Fear not, you can test drive many sports cars like the Fiero and MR2 on Madalin Stunt Cars 2, over at drifted.com.


    Stephen Cox
    Driver, FIA’s EGT Championship & Super Cup Stock Car Series
    Co-host, Mecum Auctions on NBCSN
    CEO, Sopwith Motorsports Television Productions

  • Custer dominates at Chicagoland

    Custer dominates at Chicagoland

    Cole Custer held off Joey Logano in Saturday’s Camping World 300 at Chicagoland Speedway and captured his fourth NASCAR Xfinity Series victory of the season.

    Custer led 151 of the 200 laps in route to his sixth career victory.

    “At these low grip race tracks it is a little bit of everything and that is a testament to our whole team and everyone at the shop that set up the car. When you go to these low grip race tracks and can be good through a whole run it isn’t easy to do. I want to thank everyone at Haas Automation and Stewart-Haas Racing because we are going to be taking it to ‘em in the summertime,” Custer said in victory lane.

    Polesitter Logano finished second, Christopher Bell finished third, Michael Annett fourth and Brandon Jones rounded out the top five. However, Bell’s car failed post-race inspection (car was too low) and NASCAR disqualified his third-place finish. Bell will receive one point for last place.

    “We just weren’t quite good enough. Cole and that whole Stewart-Haas team just beat us. They were faster in every department. We just weren’t quite good enough overall. After practice, I was able to look at Cole’s times and it was obvious that he was the fastest car,” Logano said.

    The series heads next to Daytona International Speedway on Friday, July 5 for the Circle K Firecracker 250.

    Xfinity Series Race Number 15
    Race Results for the 19th Annual Camping World 300 – Saturday, June 29, 2019
    Chicagoland Speedway – Joliet, IL – 1.5 – Mile Paved
    Total Race Length – 200 Laps – 300. Miles

    Fin Str No Driver Team Laps S1Pos S2Pos S3Pos Pts Status
    1 2 0 Cole Custer Haas Automation Ford 200 1 2 0 59 Running
    2 1 12 Joey Logano(i) Snap On Ford 200 4 1 0 0 Running
    3 16 1 Michael Annett Pilot/Flying J Chevrolet 200 7 10 0 39 Running
    4 6 19 Brandon Jones Menards/Bali Toyota 200 3 3 0 49 Running
    5 7 22 Austin Cindric Discount Tire Ford 200 6 6 0 42 Running
    6 10 9 Noah Gragson # MagnaFlow Chevrolet 200 0 0 0 31 Running
    7 14 11 Justin Haley # LeafFilter Gutter Protection Chevrolet 200 0 7 0 34 Running
    8 3 10 Ross Chastain(i) Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet 200 9 9 0 0 Running
    9 9 2 Tyler Reddick KC Motorgroup Chevrolet 200 2 4 0 44 Running
    10 8 18 Riley Herbst(i) Monster Energy Toyota 200 10 0 0 0 Running
    11 15 23 John Hunter Nemechek # Chevrolet 200 0 0 0 26 Running
    12 12 39 Ryan Sieg Big Green Egg Chevrolet 200 0 0 0 25 Running
    13 19 51 Jeremy Clements RepairableVehicles.com Chevrolet 200 0 0 0 24 Running
    14 17 8 Gray Gaulding WorldWide Safety Consulting Chevrolet 200 0 0 0 23 Running
    15 11 98 Chase Briscoe # Ford Performance Ford 199 8 0 0 25 Running
    16 21 81 Jeffrey Earnhardt Comcast NBCUniversal Salute to Service Toyota 199 0 0 0 21 Running
    17 13 8 Zane Smith Canadamark Diamond/BN3TH Chevrolet 199 0 5 0 26 Running
    18 22 28 Shane Lee Titan Mining Rigs Toyota 199 0 0 0 19 Running
    19 20 4 Landon Cassill Gerber Collision and Glass Chevrolet 199 0 0 0 18 Running
    20 25 7 Ray Black II ISOKERNFrplcs&Chmnys/ScbaLfe Chev 199 0 0 0 17 Running
    21 30 1 Stephen Leicht Gerber Collision Chevrolet 199 0 0 0 16 Running
    22 31 86 Brandon Brown # BMSRaceTeam.com Chevrolet 198 0 0 0 15 Running
    23 18 15 BJ McLeod teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 196 0 0 0 14 Running
    24 26 42 Chad Finchum NLBHtng&Clng/Ryn’sCllsnSrvce Toyota 195 0 0 0 13 Running
    25 35 0 Garrett Smithley teamjdmotorsports.com Chevrolet 195 0 0 0 12 Running
    26 34 36 Josh Williams Starbrite Star Tron/Simcraft Chevrolet 195 0 0 0 11 Running
    27 24 5 Matt Mills J.F. Electric Chevrolet 195 0 0 0 10 Running
    28 28 99 Tommy Joe Martins Diamond Gusset Jeans/The Podgoats Toyota 194 0 0 0 9 Running
    29 37 78 Vinnie Miller JW Transport Chevrolet 194 0 0 0 8 Running
    30 33 90 Ronnie Bassett Jr Bassett Gutters and More Chevrolet 193 0 0 0 7 Running
    31 29 74 Camden Murphy(i) RonaldHouseChicago.org Chevrolet 192 0 0 0 0 Running
    32 4 7 Justin Allgaier BRANDT Professional Agriculture Chevrolet 127 5 8 0 14 Accident
    33 27 35 Joey Gase GiftofHopeOrgan&TsseDnrNtwrk Toyota 111 0 0 0 4 Engine
    34 32 66 Timmy Hill OCR Gaz Bar Toyota 71 0 0 0 3 Electrical
    35 23 17 Josh Bilicki RWR Chevrolet 55 0 0 0 2 Vibration
    36 36 52 David Starr Dealer Associates Inc/FLURRY Chevrolet 52 0 0 0 1 Engine
    37 38 38 Jeff Green RSS Racing Chevrolet 11 0 0 0 1 Electrical
    38 5 20 Christopher Bell Rheem Toyota 200 0 0 0 1 Running
  • The story behind Matt DiBenedetto’s best career NASCAR finish

    The story behind Matt DiBenedetto’s best career NASCAR finish

    SONOMA, Calif. ⁠— In Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350, some drivers had solid runs. William Byron finished 19th but scored his first career stage win and left the race with the fifth most points accumulated. Erik Jones started from the rear and clawed his way up to finish eighth. And Daniel Hemric, who finished second in Saturday’s K&N Pro West race, crossed the line 15th at Sonoma in his rookie year with the Cup Series.

    But the highlight of the day belonged to Matt DiBenedetto who earned his first career NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series top five finish at Sonoma Raceway when he crossed the line fourth.

    Post-Race interview with Matt DiBenedetto and Justin Schuoler at Sonoma Raceway following the 2019 Toyota/Save Mart 350. Audio by Justin Schuoler for Speedway Media.

    “I cannot explain how thankful I am,” an emotional DiBenedetto started out after celebrating with his team and receiving multiple congratulations from other competitors. “I can’t tell you how desperate I was to get a run like this for my team and how many people took a chance on me to drive this thing. It took so many people to say yes, including my JGR (Joe Gibbs Racing) teammates, all the drivers, everybody at Toyota and TRD (Toyota Racing Development), the sponsors like Procore and Dumont JETS, team owner, ‘Wheels’ (nickname for crew chief Michael Wheeler).

    “I’m telling you, it took every one of those people to say yes.”

    The final laps were anything but easy for DiBenedetto. Not only does passing get tougher as you climb through the field, but who he passed included veterans and champions of the sport such as Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson and Ryan Newman. His fourth place result gave the Leavine Family Racing team their third career top five and tied their best finish in team history.

    “Yeah, we had good forward drive, were on a good strategy and had good tires,” he continued when asked about a potential final restart to challenge the win after running a couple of lap times similar to leaders Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch. The K&N race had three overtime attempts on the previous day. “I mean, I’m happy with our finish. We were driving through the field, and that was so fun, picking them off one at a time, guys that I have so much respect for too, guys like Kevin (Harvick), (Ryan) Newman, and racing Denny (Hamlin) at the end. (I have) so much respect for them, and to be racing around them, and to be passing all those guys.

    “I’ve learned a lot from them, so it’s real special.”

    Being from Green Valley which is a two hour drive northeast of the track, DiBenedetto had friends and family at Sunday’s race witnessing his best career accomplishment in the top touring stock car racing series.

    Matt DiBenedetto wheeled his No. 95 Procore Toyota for Levine Family Racing during one of Friday's practice sessions at the technical road course. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
    Matt DiBenedetto wheeled his No. 95 Procore Toyota for Leavine Family Racing during one of Friday’s practice sessions at the technical road course. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

    “Yeah, my family’s here. I hate that my wife couldn’t make it since she had some conflicting things in her schedule, so that stinks, but she’ll be home so her, my friends and our neighbors will be waiting on me to get home to have a good night and hang out and have some fun.

    “Yes we did (record the race on the DVR). I’m going back to watch that dang thing!”

    DiBenedetto turned to a recent road course ringer for some advice on turning some quicker lap times. He was quick to give credit to A.J. Allmendinger, always a front runner at road courses with one career victory at Watkins Glen International. Allmendinger’s resume shines when it comes to road courses. He has a Rolex 24 at Daytona victory in the Daytona Prototype class of the NASCAR Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, two NASCAR Xfinity Series victories in 2013, five victories in the Champ Car World Series, and a podium finish in the 2018 Rolex 24 at Daytona in the Weathertech SportsCar Championship.

    “My buddy, A.J. Allmendinger,” DiBenedetto exclaimed. “Told him I’d give him a shout-out if I did good. He helped me so much, hours on the phone. I don’t want to give away all his secrets (laugh), but it was just how to execute through the weekend and what I need to feel in the race car to race good. I’ve always felt confident in my ability to drive the car around the track and wheel it, but that’s only a small fraction of the game when you’re racing against guys that are so good and so experienced, so he helped me to make sure I executed throughout the weekend and get my car right.”

    Jumping Off the Diving Board and Hoping There’s Water in the Pool

    Last year, DiBenedetto made an announcement that caught many off guard. Most drivers would be satisfied with any full-time ride, but after getting shout-outs from many competitors, even Dale Earnhardt Jr. saying that he was one of the most talented drivers in the garage, he took a leap of faith in hopes of securing a more competitive ride. His former team, GoFas Racing, offered their full support after a great relationship with their driver of three years. Young up and coming drivers hold sponsorships that help secure top-tier rides with successful teams, but DiBenedetto has had to prove himself from the ground up by aggressively learning, holding nothing back and displaying a gritty performance on the track.

    “I’ve worked so hard my whole life the old school way, been through the trenches, that’s for sure. I’ve been so lucky to get these opportunities, and it makes you appreciate it and makes you dig so much deeper knowing that you’re fighting for your life and your career. We’ve deserved some runs like this for a while, just haven’t had the luck and this shows the strength of our team. I’m happy for our guys finally.”

    CrossFit Pays Off for DiBenedetto During Caution-Free Race

    NASCAR drivers are known more as endurance athletes, such as Jimmie Johnson entering the Boston Marathon earlier this year. So for DiBenedetto, his focus is with CrossFit workout sessions, primarily with CrossFit Catawba Valley in Hickory, North Carolina.

    “I almost forgot, I gotta thank my CrossFit family, CrossFit Catawba Valley. It was frickin’ hot today. Training came in handy. It was terrible in the car. Couldn’t drink for that whole second stage. There was no time; it was green (for the whole run). It’s what makes it tough physically and mentally, so I’m glad those guys have pushed me so hard. That really helped today.

    “The Carousel was cool. It made this track feel so much different, a lot more treacherous, and it reminded me a little bit like Mid-Ohio (Sports Car Course). It was really fun to set them up for Turn 7.”

    With all that training, preparation, unique talent and ability of his dirt racing background, he has had a lot of focus on short tracks, technical courses and races where he has the chance to show off his adroitness.

    “I’ve had this one circled,” he proclaimed. “Places like Bristol, Phoenix, here. I’ll be honest, this year has been tough because the rules are so different where it makes it a little tougher for the driver to make a difference at some of these bigger race tracks. It’s a lot of car speed and track position, so it’s been tough and mentally challenging. So these places where you can just get on the wheel and show the strength of your team and how we can execute, those are the ones we circled off. I was so glad, I knew we could get a good run here.”

    A Tribute to Darrell Waltrip’s Rookie & Early Racing Years

    Darrell Waltrip and Matt DiBenedetto share a hug during pre-race ceremonies for Waltrip's final broadcast. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.
    Darrell Waltrip and Matt DiBenedetto share a hug during pre-race ceremonies for Waltrip’s final broadcast. Photo courtesy of Patrick Sue-Chan for Speedway Media.

    Three drivers in Sunday’s race elected to run a unique throwback paint scheme in honor of Darrell Waltrip’s final broadcast with FOX Sports. As the driver of the No. 95, he found the paint scheme that Waltrip raced as a driver/owner back with Terminal Transport as his sponsor for three years between 1972 and 1974. So his Leavine Family Racing team, along with full support from his primary sponsor Procore and their Toyota manufacturer, brought the classic orange and white car to Sonoma Raceway.

    To hold his best career finish in a Waltrip throwback car added much more to the great memory of DiBenedetto’s strong day.

    “This one’s for him,” he shared with a tear in his eye. “I wanted so bad to get a good run for him. He’s always been so supportive, just telling me to smile. He’s such a great person and friend. I’m lucky to have gotten to know him. To get my best career finish in his throwback car is a memory I’ll never forget.

    “He’s done so much for me and my career, things that people may not know about for me personally with helping me out last year.”

    That thing was stepping up to sponsor DiBenedetto for one race. Last year while racing for GoFas Racing in the No. 32 car, their team was prepared to race in Phoenix with a bare car. While the team wasn’t faced with any financial issues, DiBenedetto took the initiative to head on Twitter and post a video to inform fans about the sponsorship opportunity on a tight deadline. So drivers like Denny Hamlin who was the first to reach out, helped sponsor his ride. Darrell Waltrip was a big contributor to giving him a funded ride in the 2018 Spring race.

    Remembering Where He Started and Where He’s Headed

    The late JD Gibbs was recently inducted into the West Coast Stock Car Racing Hall of Fame. He was also the one who made the phone call to BK Racing that placed DiBenedetto in the No. 83 car for most of the 2015 season, and the rest has worked in his favor.

    “God, I miss him so bad,” DiBenedetto shared when asked about Gibbs. “He was one of the greatest people I know. I learned so much from him as a person more than anything. I literally would not be standing here without him today. He had so much to do with this. I wouldn’t have gotten a Cup ride without him, I wouldn’t be here today, and the relationship with all those guys. Gosh, I can’t explain how much I miss that guy.”

    DiBenedetto has a humble and grassroots background when it comes to his NASCAR career, but rumors hold uncertainties about his future with Christopher Bell performing strongly in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Toyota Racing.

    “I’ve learned to become mentally tough,” he said when responding to those rumors. “My whole career, I mean every single year of my life and career—at a point where we pulled it up as a family and sold all our stuff and quit, and then I had to do it year by year my whole life to this point—I’ve always had to perform.

    “I don’t let it get to me, and I always say that to my wife (Taylor) because she worries all the time for me. I tell her, ‘If I perform, the rest will take care of itself’”

    Whatever the rumors may be, DiBenedetto plans to take the time to let this finish sink in before heading to Chicagoland Speedway.

    One reporter asked, “Are you gonna blow that air horn when you cross the line playing the race back on your DVR?”

    DiBenedetto’s response was as light-hearted as he could be: “Yeah, I probably should!”